


Truce

by tantedrago



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: AU, Crime Solving, F/F, Gen, blood and sex and crime solving, seriously this is a vampire au, vampires and werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-03
Updated: 2014-05-22
Packaged: 2017-12-25 12:23:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 34,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/953060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tantedrago/pseuds/tantedrago
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Vampires hate werewolves. And werewolves hate vampires. Myka is suddenly confronted with change in her life when the vampire H.G. Wells joins her investigation team. Working on cases with all this tension between them could get really interesting. Blood, sex, crime solving.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Co-author/ Beta reader is lastminutegenius.

“Oh, Artie, you must be kidding me!” Myka Bering groaned as she stretched herself in the armchair and looked at her boss with dying remnants of hope.  
“A vampire? In _our_ team? You know what that means?” she asked and mentally began to formulate arguments to talk Artie out of this idea. She didn’t want to make it seem like she had any personal vendetta with the vampires, though this was definitely the case. Everybody, even those brain-dead teenagers who fed on poor literature, knew of the cardinal rule that you did not invite a vampire and werewolf to the same party!   
_Vampires._ Myka shuddered. Those perfect creatures with their effortless elegance and razor-sharp intelligence, seductive beauty and not to forget that perfectly textured hair! Myka unconsciously patted down her unruly curls. Something about a vampire’s presence itself made Myka feel insecure. And then to top it all off, there was their unbearable smell…Myka scrunched her nose, as she thought about it.   
But no, this wasn’t simply about her. This was about the team! Not only was the situation bad enough that there would be a vampire in the team, but Artie had already hinted that this particular vampire would also be joining them on the field. This is what had Myka worried the most…she would have to work with that smell trailing her around, and always be in the presence of some earth-shattering beauty…no, there was absolutely no way Myka could concentrate on her work like that.  
“A Nightwalker in the investigation team Artie, that means, on the field with us” Myka, in all her lazy glory, leaned forward to swipe her coffee mug off the table. “No way Artie! It makes no sense at all” she gulped down the rest of the liquid in the mug in one large gulp.  
Artie rubbed the bridge of his nose and explained as patiently as possible “Okay Myka, enough. You maybe, just need to calm down and back off a little.” Then he looked at her and narrowed his eyes “Cause I’m not entertaining any discussions that are racist!” Myka pouted, but before she could defend herself she was interrupted.  
“Yeah Myka, not cool. I thought you were fine with people like me on the team. I didn’t know you had such concerns” Claudia Donovan looked righteously indignant as she sat down across from her teammate.  
“Aargh, I was only being practical” Myka growled. Why didn’t they understand her concerns? Nightwalkers were demons that could only move in the shadows, they couldn’t tolerate sunlight. Vampires and Mares were the best examples of Nightwalkers who could move so fast that to an untrained eye it seemed like they were flying, but come daytime and they couldn’t even step out or the sun would burn their skin. Myka appreciated their beauty and skill, but according to her, it also meant that they were of no use to them on the field during daytime and this was a serious concern. Just as serious as the fact that she held a general grudge against vampires. You don’t ask why. It just was.  
Myka was a demon who worked in a special government unit that apprehended other demons that committed crimes. And by “committed crimes” she meant those that acted against the laws of their secret society and not human laws. If the human laws prohibited it to kill humans, demon laws were a bit more complex- "Of course you have to kill humans if it is necessary to feed on them, but please do it without them recognising us and appease traditions and uphold the tentative peace." Demons that did not obey these rules were hunted down by Artie and his team of demons. Myka was a werewolf while her partner Pete Lattimer was a strong, broad-shouldered Nephilim. Claudia Donovan was an actual mare, a nightwalker, but she worked on the technical investigation part of the cases for the team, that meant: indoors and on a computer, so she rarely had to step out. Her best friend Steve Jinks was a shy incubus. No one on the team could imagine how that worked, but they also weren't interested in what Steve did with his male victims at home. The last one in the team was Leena, a landwaettir and a daywalker, demons that actually hated the darkness. Some daywalkers were unable to move without sunlight. Some just didn't like the shadows. Leena was a nature demon that needed sun light to grow. Daywalkers worked and hunted their prey at day, and slept at night,exact opposites to nightwalkers who slept at day and hunted at night. Except for Claudia Donovan that is. Everyone wondered when she slept, they knew she fed on human's dreams in the night, but she also worked both day and night, because they could always call her during their investigations.  
Myka, Pete and Steve were midwalkers. They didn't care about the light and the shadows. As people, who could go outside whenever they wanted, they were, Myka rightly believes, qualified for real investigation work outdoors. And here was Artie, a beelzebub, a slight demon with a treasure trove of knowledge, that fed on human fear; calling them for a meeting and announcing his decision to bring in a vampire, a nightwalker, who could be as good as them on the field. Myka scoffed internally at the idea. No she wasn’t being racist, she simply hated them and she had practical evidence to support her claim that they would be no good on the field.  
“Practical?” Leena asked. “You just discriminated against a person based on their ability to work in light or in shadow. That's not nice!"  
"Yeah, Mykes. You’ve never said something like this before." Pete said, in between stuffing his mouth with frosted donuts. Myka knew exactly where the Nephilim got their broad body structure from.  
"Come on!" The werewolf finally broke in "You all know that I'm not a racist. I just wanted to remind you that we're only midwalkers out there in the field and that nightwalkers and daywalkers- of course are as good at midwalkers” she tried to smile and appease Claudia here, “but that it's really impractical. Claudia couldn't possibly interview witnesses at day, and you Leena,” she looked over at the woman with a soft smile “couldn't possibly examine a crime scene at night. This is why Claudia helps our investigations over the computer, while Leena uses her psychoanalytic skills to interrogate our suspects. Inside! I love you both but you have to admit that your trait of being subordinate to light and shadow somehow handicaps you a little bit." She had an almost genuinely rueful look on her face. _And I hate vampires._ She added to herself.  
"She might have a point." Steve suddenly said, no one had heard him join them.  
"Jinks? Are you alright?" Claudia asked almost spitting out her coffee and destroying her keyboard. "Since when did you join the RMAADAW?"  
"The what?" Pete asked with a facial expression that mirrored Myka's confusion.  
"The Racist Midwalker Alliance Against Daywalkers And Nightwalkers." The mare explained seriously.  
"I did never join such a thing." Steve held up his hands. "I just thought that… maybe it’s not a very profitable idea to have a vampire on the field team. Because how useful is a creature on duty that has to be invited inside other people's apartments?"  
"That's exactly what I was talking about!" The werewolf pointed her finger at him, excited at having finally found an ally. "And they have no reflection! And the garlic! How useful is a garlic allergy on duty?"  
"Myka." Artie said, his voice strict. "You didn't just seriously try to argue the qualification of a demon working on our team by mentioning their little weaknesses like being allergic to garlic or having no mirror reflection? You, my child, are off duty three nights a month because you transform into a big aggressive creature that can't investigate at all but rampages its environment."  
Myka swallowed. She knew she was being petty when she had mentioned that, but she hadn’t really expected him to mention her insecurities.  
"He's right, Mykes. And you shed." Pete added with a serious nod as he trashed another donut into his open, waiting mouth. "And by 'shed' I don't just mean you losing your wolf hair everywhere but your," He looked at her head. "Human hair. I can live with this, but if you want to start a discussion about garlic allergies, I could probably drop that information somewhere."  
Myka was now seeing red. "Well, you eat enough to feed a whole family of elepha-" She started growling but was interrupted by Artie.   
"There shall be no more discussion. Ms Wells is already on a Red-Eye flight from London and she will be joining our team. And she will do her job well."   
"Why does she come from London?" Claudia asked, her staccato typing beating rhythm in the background.  
"Well, she lives there." Artie answered.  
"She's a Brit?" Pete asked, amused, his donut-held-hand hovering mid-air.  
"Yes. Is that a problem now?" Artie was getting tired of all these discussions, which according to him, should not have arisen at all.  
The group shared looks and everybody pressed their lips together to stifle their laughter.  
"Did I miss a really good joke?" Artie was on the verge of losing his cool.  
"She is a British vampire?" Myka asked again, amusement evident in her voice.  
"Yes. She is a British vampire. Born in England in 1866, lives in London, moved to America. What the hell is so funny?" The beelzebub yelled.  
"Do you think she uses the term 'bloody' for cursing?" Claudia started laughing.  
"Did you just say 'what the hell', Artie?" Pete giggled like a little girl.  
Artie shook his head as Leena too joined in the group laughter. "People! Some of you are several hundred years old and you still laugh at demon jokes?" Artie was just a little more than appalled.


	2. Chapter 2

Being part of a Secret Society of Demonic Creatures that fed off of human beings while also living among them, meant strict adherence to Age-Old Laws that helped avoid the detection of the Hunter by the Prey. They called themselves "Demons" although some among them might agree that this wasn't the best term to describe them. They were all different except for one single trait: They needed humans to survive. Most of them ate humans, other's lived off of their emotions, or like Claudia fed on their nightmares.  
Myka Bering was a werewolf. And that meant transforming into a savage, hairy, hungry beast twice a month and hunting for a prey. She wasn't really proud of this part of her existence. She despised the thought of feeding on humans, for Myka Bering genuinely liked humans, especially those who had written her favourite books. Myka loved reading books and this became clearly evident when one looked at her apartment, stacked as it was with books from different areas of interest. Humans, Myka felt, were very good at imagining stories and Myka was yet to meet a demon that showed the same level of creativity. But Myka would never consciously overstep the unwritten codes and have any sort of relationship- romantic or otherwise-with a human. Humans were food for the wolf inside her and Myka was perpetually afraid of waking up one day without her lover by her side but with a strange feeling of satiation. The uncontrollable craving for human flesh was something that really annoyed her but she couldn't deny her nature and so she guiltily accepted that she was the cause for a few missing persons every other fortnight. The rest of the month however, Myka tried somehow to atone for it by eating healthy avoiding sugar. She only allowed herself to eat sugar when the other 'time of the month' was near. She really couldn't figure out which time of the month she disliked more.  
Change was something Myka Bering struggled with. When you are literally transforming into a chaotic creature every month routine existence seems to emit its own charm. She always drank her coffee the same way, she did her laundry on Wednesdays and Saturdays, she spent her free time with Kafka, H.G. Wells and Shakespeare on her couch. Pete always called her a control freak but that wasn't true, she just liked things neat and in order. She liked the daily routine she had been following for the 52 years of her cursed life and when the Vampire Helena G. Wells came into it, it meant change- and not of the ordinary kind of course!  
Myka was tousling with her emotions from the moment the Vampire had entered their office on an early October evening. She smelt the woman even before she laid her eyes on her. A werewolf's nose was capable of sniffing every scent in such detail that sometimes they were a cause for terrible headaches. Pete's lunch choices for example. Or Leena's aromatic candles. Sometimes Myka was just two seconds away from a complaining because of the odour nuisance at their workplace.   
Vampires didn't smell bad. Quite the opposite actually. Vampires smelt so good and tempting that werewolves were in fact loath to admit how attracted they were to it. It was important to maintain the facades that they had held on to for decades, and capitulating to this minor distraction was akin to admittance of the Vampire’s superior skills. And that was all rubbish of course!  
So Myka sat unmoving in her chair, inhaling the beautiful scent for a second, before closing her eyes and trying to clear her head. She tried in vain to focus on the file she was reading- a decision had to be made about a demon that attracted humans, who wanted to open a casino, and who fed on the elusive energies of human luck.  
"Good evening." A low thrilling voice with a thick British accent wafted over to her. "I am looking for Arthur Nielsen. I was told to report to him upon my arrival.”  
"Ah yes, I’ll show you to his office before I head home” Leena's voice answered. "I am Leena. The Agency’s psychologist. I think we will be working together very often in the future."   
"Pleasure to meet you, Leena. I’m Helena Wells." There was a brief pause and Myka concluded that they must have shook hands. She looked up from her file over at Pete. The nephilim was leaning back in the uncomfortable chair, mouth wide open, crumbs from his last meal all over his shirt, and the forgotten file dangling from his hands. Myka cleared her throat and got no reaction for him. So she just stretched forward and kicked him under the table. Pete instantly jolted awake.  
"I’m awake. I’m awake" He squeaked, wiping away his drool with the back of his hand. “I was just deeply in thought about the case." His unfocused eyes finally landed on the new arrival in the room and he instantly perked up.  
"Mykes!" He whispered, leaning over to the werewolf. "I believe that's her."  
Myka rolled her eyes "You don't say." She assiduously tried to ignore the all-pervading intoxicating scent.  
"Leena’s leading her to Artie's office. Phew, she is H-O-T!” Pete declared, his eyes as wide as a saucer.  
Myka refrained from turning around. _Of course it figured that the woman would be insanely hot._ "Leena or the vampire?" She asked instead.  
"Both. But right now, I meant the vampire." Pete was craning his neck in order to catch a glimpse of the retreating figures.  
"That’s really not possible Pete. Historically, Vampires are known to be cold-blooded creatures. Strictly speaking, a hot vampire would be an anomaly” Myka answered in all mock seriousness.  
Pete put out his tongue. “Haha. Funny Bering. Should I be laughing at that? No, but I mean it. She’s ridiculously hot, Mykes. Look at her!" He was waving his huge hands wildly in front of her.  
"Have you met a vampire before, Pete? Ridiculous may be just the right choice of words. Ridiculously clean and pale skin, ridiculously beautiful eyes, ridiculously red lips, ridiculously good looking hair." _Mostly the hair._ Myka had no idea what vampires did to get the perfect hair. Maybe it had something to do with the blood of their victims.  
"You do know how they attract their prey right?"  
"Man, I wished I was her prey for just one night." Pete mumbled.  
Myka punched him on the shoulder in reply. "Ouch! Why are you always doing that?" He whined child-like.  
"Because you always start drooling when an attractive woman is in sight." Myka answered and looked back at the file in her hand.   
"Hey Hey Hey! Don't judge my drooling over chicks and I won’t judge your drooling over chickens!" Pete countered.  
"Don't make this about food or I will start talking about your bad eating behaviour again and calculate a nephilim's real calorie requirements per day."  
"Okay, okay.” Pete said, holding up his hands and slumping back in his chair. “I’ll keep my mouth shut. Anyway, she’s already disappeared into Artie's office."  
"Good." Myka replied turning the page and trying to re-focus on the words in front of her. But no sooner had she finally got back into the rhythm than Pete interrupted her excitedly.  
"She's coming out of the room. Artie's with her."  
"Pete! We have to complete this assessment tonight.” Myka reminded him.  
"They are walking over to Jinksy’s desk.” Pete continued as if he hadn’t heard Myka. “They are looking very strangely at one another. Now they are shaking hands. It looks kinda funny.” Pete had apparently taken over the role of the running-commentator. “Is there a thing between incubi and vampires like there’s between vampires and werewolves?" Pete asked finally turning his eyes towards Myka.  
Myka sighed. "The Book of Origins. Vol 3. Section 456! No, Pete. They just hunt their prey in very similar ways."  
"Ah. They're coming over! Myka they're coming over. The eagle is landing!" Pete jumped up from his chair.  
"And these are the Agents Peter Lattimer and Myka Bering. Agents, this is Helena Wells, your new colleague." Artie conducted the preliminary introductions in his usual uninterested baritone.  
"Hello. Call me Pete!" Myka could instantly tell Pete was trying to sound as seductive as he could. She rolled her eyes and turned around in her chair.  
"Very nice to meet you, Pete. I'm Helena. Everyone just calls me H.G." The woman answered with a smile.   
Myka had expected a beauty. She had expected the elegance, the grace, and the undeniable charm that surrounded the mystical vampires. But she was definitely not prepared for what she beheld now. The actual appearance of Helena G. Wells was like a kick in the guts for her. Long, silky, shiny locks framed the pale, devastatingly beautiful face in careless sort of way, while the rich brown eyes that met hers, held a mysterious glint in them. Myka was completely flabbergasted as her eyes traced the arch of the long neck that ended in a white, low buttoned blouse and the werewolf was able to get a look at the almost perfect pale skin of her chest. Her view wandered over the vampire's well-formed body in its well-worn brown leather jacket and the long legs encased in dark, skinny jeans.  
Myka swallowed thickly.  
"Ah and you must be Myka Bering. I read some of your reports during my flight from London. Your work is so detailed and well-organised." H.G. held out her hand in front of Myka and the agent meekly took it in hers as she watched the long well-manicured fingers wrap around her own.   
_Say something interesting. Show her that you are a strong smart woman. That this is your territory._  
"Werewolf" Myka blurted out. "I mean...it's nice to meet you. Finally."  
 _Great job!_  
"Oh, I do hope you agree with leaving the little grudge between our people out of our work. It is indeed a little old fashioned, isn't it?" The vampire didn't let go Myka's hand and so the werewolf simply stared at her and continued weakly shaking her hand.  
"What? ...Oh, yeah. Totally old-school." Myka was pleased to know that she hadn’t lost her ability to speak actual words. "I mean, we're living in the 21th century. Folks, get over ancient grudges. We can totally work together leave out all the arch-enemy nonsense behind. I mean it started with…” She shut her eyes and chastised herself for babbling away. Opening them again she gently pulled her hand away with a shy smile.  
"Good" Artie nodded in approval. "That's very grown up behaviour from both of you. I expected no less. Now, Ms Wells, let me show you the meeting room and our arsenal. I assume you've already got a place to live."  
"Well, currently I have a temporary arrangement with an old friend." H.G. answered without taking her eyes off of Myka. The werewolf raised an perfectly-arched eyebrow.  
H.G smirked and explained. "I'm living in the basement of a friend’s house. It would have been a little strange to explain to hotel maintenance why I’m carrying round a huge coffin. I'm still searching for an apartment of mine own, but wasn't able to make any better arrangements before I left London."   
"Why did you leave London, Ms Wells?" Myka asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.  
"For you it's Helena." The vampire gave Myka a smile that caused her stomach to churl in a not-completely-unpleasant way.  
"Why did you leave London, Helena?" Myka ducked her head, enjoying the taste of the name on her tongue.  
"I needed a change of scenery." Helena answered with a winning smile. Her eyes darkened slightly as she watched Myka's bite her lip.  
"Well, the meeting room and the arsenal?" The vampire asked, finally turning away from Myka to Artie.  
"Right. This way." The Beelzebub pointed towards the door at the other end of the office.  
"Meeting in 30." He called back as he led Helena away.  
"See you then." H.G gave Myka and Pete a quick wave and last glance before obediently following Artie.  
Myka’s gaze followed Helena’s easy movements as she settled back into her seat. Suddenly she became aware of Pete's gleeful eyes on her.  
"Do you maybe need a tissue?" He grinned.  
"What?" She asked, the look of confusion evident on her face.  
"You might want a tissue to wipe away the drool!” Her partner laughed boisterously.   
Myka threw her pencil at him, before picking up the file, and hiding her smiling face behind it.


	3. Chapter 3

Myka had expected that working with a vampire would be difficult. But working with this particular vampire was proving to be exceptionally difficult.  
The only way she could think of describing Helena was as cheeky. Helena must have been aware of what havoc the mere presence of a vampire (and more importantly their intoxicating scent) was causing to Myka’s senses but she just kept invading Myka's personal space, casually shared little touches with her or sat on Myka's desk- dangling her long, temptingly toned legs in front of her. The werewolf couldn’t decide if she wanted to bite H.G. or yell at her to back off. So Myka, for the time being at least, assiduously ignored Helena’s no-doubt intentionally provocative behaviour.  
But ignoring a vampire was no easy task, especially with their whole being screaming “Look at Me, I’m Delicious” and Myka is by now pretty sure Helena Wells’ body owned a bloody microphone.  
Of course, Myka would have to agree that Helena’s addition to the Team had proved useful. Helena once saved Pete and Myka’s ass by seducing a security officer at the office of a questionable enterprise. Later, the said officer was found unconscious and with two neat fang marks on the neck in the back alley of the office.   
The biting part was something that Myka was most curious about. When she fed, she usually lodged her sharp teeth into the body of her prey and ripped it apart with such gusto that it was hardly a pretty sight after her hunger had been satiated. Myka was completely conscious in her werewolf form. And the lack of control, and pure giving over to her feral desires was something that bothered Myka deeply. She was capable of transforming into her wolf-form whenever she desired, but her bestial nature waned and waxed with the phases of the moon. However on full moons, the pull was so strong, that it was impossible not to turn, and Myka knew the power it unleashed within her on such occasions.  
Helena's version of running her fangs into somebody was completely different though. Myka had witnessed it once or twice during their investigations. And she concluded that everything about the act reeked of seduction. With deadly calmness Helena took hold of her prey, and just before she lowered her fangs, her eyes darkened with uncontrollable thirst, and yet she bit with such poise that Myka shivered when she watched for the first time. The actual body contact was so soft and intimate that Helena’s victim, a middle-aged pawn shop broker in this case, looked somehow to be enjoying it while Helena was bent over his neck with her body pressed flush against him, mewling in pleasure and finally separating from him with a loud sucking moan. Myka watched entranced as Helena released her tight hold on the prey, and held her breath while the vampire flicked her tongue and whisked away the last glistening drops of blood running down the man’s neck. When the vampire finally turned and smiled at Myka, she could no longer deny the fact that she was intensely turned on by it all.  
And yet Myka burned in the agony of the conflicting feelings Helena caused within her. How could a member of a species that she had hated for as long as she could remember, the proverbial arch-enemy of her race, ignite such strong feelings in her? Myka would not simply attribute Helena’s beauty and elegance as the cause of her worries, it was the woman herself. Helena Wells, with her easy charm, intelligent conversations and peculiar habits was slowly gnawing away at Myka’s resistance and Myka knew of no way to defend herself. She was beginning to doubt if she wanted to defend herself at all.  
So here she was, fighting a losing battle, on yet another late night case of brutal murder that screamed “Demon” presence the minute they- Pete, Steve, Myka and of course Helena- walked into a low-scale apartment in the centre of the commercial district of the town. The police officer on duty seemed wary of their presence and they held up their Secret Service badges to assuage him.  
“You think the President’s life could be in danger from the person who did this?” he asked, his voice obviously shaken by the events of the night and yet incredulity at their presence apparent.  
“Yeah, Kind of” answered Pete as he pushed his way through the door into the living room. Steve gave a polite smile as he followed Pete in and Myka began cataloguing the articles in the room the minute she stepped through. She instantly noticed the trail of blood that lead from the living room into the interior room which she assumed was the site of the murder. Her body was beginning to react to the presence of food around her and so she cleared her throat and focused on the officer to gain preliminary information from him. “I’m Agent Bering, that is Agent Lattimer and Agent Jinks with him, and this here…” she looked around her expecting to find Helena sidled beside her. That is when she found Helena still standing outside the threshold, patiently waiting with her hands in her jacket pocket and a shy smile on her face.  
“What are you doing there?” Myka asked in obvious confusion.  
“Wasn’t invited in” Helena answered shrugging her shoulders.  
“Oh right” Myka let a small grin slip onto her face. Then schooling her features she turned and spotted an elderly woman sitting on a couch in discernible shock. “Is that the victim’s mother?” she asked the officer. When he nodded she walked over to the lady and bent over lightly. Touching her knees, she caught the woman’s attention and asked gently “I am sorry for your loss ma’am and I know it must be difficult to have so many people around. But I hope you don’t mind…” The silently sobbing woman shook her head. “No, no, by all means…”  
Then bending lower and whispering to the woman Myka added “My fellow agent here has a strict sense of propriety and privacy…British and all that…”both women lifted their eyes and looked at Helena standing at the threshold with an amused expression on her face. “Would you mind inviting her in and letting her know it’s alright, the job after all” Myka flashed the woman a hopeful smile.  
“Please, please. It’s no problem at all” the woman assured looking at Helena.  
“You need to say the actual words” Myka urged the woman.  
The woman looked completely confused, but nonetheless complied “Please do come in.”  
Helena practically skipped in but was contrite enough to express her condolences to the grieving mother, adding a smug “Agent Wells. Very British”, before following an amused Myka into the next room.  
“We need to work on that” Myka hissed to her companion.  
“Myka, I’m 147 years old. You don’t think I’ve tried working on a solution for this bloody problem.” Helena countered with a smile. “It’s a rule. It can’t be changed. I _have_ to be invited in”.  
“It’s annoying” Myka grumbled.  
“You don’t say” Helena answered, playfully bumping her shoulder into Myka. “I’ll make a deal. You don’t turn into a werewolf next full moon, and I’ll try to invade people’s homes without being asked”  
“Ssshhh” Myka frowned. “Not so loudly when there are humans around.” She found the officer behind them eyeing them curiously.  
“Nice of you to finally join us” said Jinks as he looked up at the two from where he was kneeling beside the victim. Myka winced equally at his tone and at the sight in front of her. The victim was lying on the ground, limbs open wide apart.  
“Male. Late twenties, early thirties. The stomach has been ripped open with a jagged edge. The intestines are missing” Helena quickly surmised the situation. Walking around to get another angle she continued solemnly. “Cause of death seems blood loss from the attack. There are no other obvious markings anywhere else on the body. And the eyes indicate he was concious when he was killed.”  
The officer beside Myka looked squeamish. “We can take it from here” Myka offered without taking her eyes off of the dead body in front of her. The officer left with an audible sigh of relief.   
“Are you okay with all this blood?” she asked Helena the moment the officer left.  
“Are you okay with all the flesh?” Helena asked evenly. Myka shrugged in response.  
"I don't have the urge to lick old clotted blood from the ground." The Brit's nostrils flared with slight anger. "What a waste." She quietly added.  
Myka could smell that the body had begun to decay. Helena was right. This was no longer appetizing.  
“One of your guys Mykes?” asked Pete standing a little distance away and taking stock of the victim’s personal effects in the room.  
“I could ask you the same” Myka answered a little brusquely.  
“Guys!” Jinks’ voice of reason emerged. “I don’t think it’s either werewolves or nephilims. Only the intestines are missing”  
“Well, some of us actually happen to like intestines” Myka added a little ruefully. “But you’re right. If this was a werewolf in a feeding frenzy, as it appears from all the wildly torn flesh, the intestines would not be the only items missing”  
Steve raised an eyebrow but refrained from any direct comments. “And it’s not a nephilim because the limbs are still intact” Steve continued. “No bone marrow missing”  
“Hmm” mused Pete as he walked closer to the body and peered down at it. “You are right Helena. What a waste!”  
“Could we please just stop treating this guy like a MacDonald’s happy meal and discussing what each of you would have eaten first.” Steve said, standing up. “You guys disgust me!”  
Pete simply grinned as Helena veered them back to topic “But we can’t completely rule out werewolves right?”  
“It’s not full moon guys” Myka complained.  
“Yeah, but not everyone has the same level of self-control as you do Myka” Pete stated. “You know how some of these guys like transforming and hunting even when it’s not the time of the month”  
“And that makes it a crime” Steve added seriously.  
“Okay, but then why are just the intestines missing? All the flesh has been left behind” Myka questioned although her brain was already trying to come up with known instances or cases when she had seen or heard of a fellow werewolf who preferred only a particular body organ. Well, for starters, they couldn’t afford to be so selective because of the tough laws of their society…they hunted out of necessity, wastage of so much flesh was not making any sense to her.  
“Maybe they were interrupted?” Helena supplied. She crouched low and observed the marks more carefully. “They definitely seem like bite marks to me” Myka leaned over and confirmed her deductions with a nod of her head.  
“How long since he’s been dead you think?” Pete asked.  
Myka sniffed, trying hard to filter out the scent of the vampire and only taking in the rotting odour of the flesh.  
“18-20 hours at the least. So early last evening.” Myka pronounced.  
“And can you smell anything of the predator itself?” Helena asked hopefully.  
“No” Myka shrugged her shoulders. _Only YOU_ , she wanted to scream. Helena simply smirked at that, Myka’s emotions must have shown on her face. “What a pity” added looking directly at Myka.  
“And we can count out daywalkers?” Pete’s question thankfully drew Helena’s gaze away and Myka swallowed.  
“Unless they waited in all night and then stepped out in the morning. Difficult but not completely impossible” Steve replied before their conversation was interrupted by a melee of voices from the adjacent room.  
“Who the hell allowed Secret Service jurisdictional rights here? It’s my case” they heard an angry male voice bellow.  
“Oh O” sang Pete as the group flowed out to the living room and directly met with the angry detectives  
Before Myka could begin giving them a plausible explanation, Helena had moved closer to a blonde female detective standing next to the bellowing lead detective. “We were just leaving” she cooed seductively and the detective looked completely flustered. Helena smiled at her partner and added in a low tilting voice “Enjoy your evening detectives”  
Myka was still trying to wrap her head around Helena’s flirtatious behaviour when the group stepped out into the cold night air.  
“I wish we could have interviewed the mother” Steve said as he pulled up the collars of his jacket.  
“Ah, I don’t think she would have been of much help” Helena said. “Her heart rate showed no great change when Myka and me were in the room with her. If she had known anything her heartbeat would have given her away”  
“You mean you can actually hear the heart beat?” Pete asked getting excited and pulling out a wrapped foil from his pocket.  
“Oh Pete, tell me you didn’t steal it from the victim” Myka groaned.  
“Whaat? Nooo.” Pete answered indignantly. “Ok, I took it from the kitchen. It’s not like he would have needed it anyway” he shrugged and proceed to unwrap it. Before he could take a bite though, Helena cautioned him “It could be poisoned. We don’t know exactly what killed the man yet.”  
That stopped Pete but he instantly held it out for Myka to smell “Is it poisoned?”  
Myka turned her face away in disgust. “I’m not smelling that vile thing for you. Go buy real food.”  
“Mykes, but I’m hungry and Helena made a valid point…just..” Pete whined.  
“Guys, our case! Remember!” Steve butted in.  
“Right!” Myka cast one last scathing glance at the Pete before focusing on Steve. “I think this is Sam’s territory. So if we really think there is a possibility that this could be a werewolf, maybe Sam could shed some light on it.”  
“Okay” Pete readily agreed. “Take H.G with you. Steve and I are gonna go get some real food” he looped his arm around Steve’s shoulder. “Not a gay bar though. A real bar, I could pick chicks and you can have the cute bartender at the end of the night” he smiled winningly.  
“Pete I can’t show up at Sam’s with H.G” Myka looked scandalized.  
“Why not?” Helena and Pete asked at the same time.  
Myka glared at the vampire briefly before explaining to Pete. “I can’t possibly walk into a wolf territory with a …I mean, I’m not trying to be a racist here, Helena, but well…Sam is…he’s…and you are”  
“Darling, I understand the delicate dynamics between werewolves and vampires, but I assure you I can handle myself when faced by an angry hungry wolf” Helena smiled charmingly at her.  
“Yeah and it’s the canalization. Helena doesn’t even need to be invited in, because strictly speaking it isn’t Sam’s home” Pete added.  
“The canalization? What’s a werewolf doing living there?” Helena asked, surprised.  
“A werewolf?” Myka laughed. “Sam’s got a whole pack down there.”  
“But aren’t werewolves loners?” Helena asked curiously. “I’ve never heard of werewolf packs before. They aren’t real wolves!”  
Myka snorted. “Werewolves are loners. We don’t like being with other werewolves all the time. But…”  
“Except for mating” Pete supplied helpfully.  
“Yeah. Thanks Pete” Myka rolled her eyes as Helena smirked. "Sometimes male werewolves like meeting in packs. You have to understand that they like being the alpha wolf. Too much testosterone if you ask me. And when they meet, they always fight."   
"Wait!" Jinks coughed. "Are you telling me that there is currently some kind of secret werewolf fight club inside the canalisation?"  
“I like where my imagination is leading me” Helena was now positively beaming.  
"It's not like in the movie!" Myka groaned. "They are transformed. They are wolves. Fighting, shedding, slobbering wolves."  
"Oh darling! You're just making me more curious about this special place. Please let me come with you. I can smuggle in a dead animal with me, so they don't smell me, or..." The vampire’s face suddenly brightened up with a mischievous smile. "Aha! I have a much better idea! Follow me!" With that she tugged at Myka’s arm and excitedly pulled her away from Pete and Steve.  
As they walked down the silent street, Helena slipped her arm into Myka’s and huddled up closer to her. “Have fun investigating!” they heard Pete’s voice calling out to them. Helena looked up into Myka’s face “Oh yes, a lot of fun!”


	4. Chapter 4

It was a moonless night, just the kind that human folklore deemed perfect for Demons to walk about.  
Even on this stretch of the street with dim, slowly flickering to death lamplights, Myka had no problem in making out the pale face of the vampire who was gliding beside her. Until that is the vampire decided to merge into the shadows and then suddenly appeared a few feet before her. Myka strained her eyes to watch Helena as the vampire realized Myka was still behind and effortlessly appeared beside her in a flash.  
“Ah, I forgot werewolves aren’t capable of using shadows to travel” she teased Myka. Myka scrunched up her nose, partly in reaction to the teasing and partly in reaction to the insane amounts of garlic pods now lined up in the insides of Helena’s coat. It completely masked the vampire’s natural scent.  
Helena laughed. “Are you wondering if I’ll die from a garlic reaction? Hoping maybe, one vampire less in your territory?”  
Myka’s “NO” came out more emphatically than she wanted. She lowered her eyes, away from Helena’s smirking face and onto the cobbled pathway. “I would never…I was just…”  
“Oh Myka” Helena squeezed Myka’s arm gently. “Garlic allergy is a myth propagated by us vampires. We develop no strong reactions to it. Except that werewolves can’t smell us through this stench. And, we wouldn’t be walking around telling our arch-enemies the only form of disguising ourselves from them, would we?” Myka felt Helena’s eyes on her and so she gently tilted her head to look at the Brit. Her smile was soft and genuine and her eyes were like liquid caramel. Myka smiled before ducking her head away.  
“So tell me, where is this secret entrance to the canalisation werewolf fight club?” Helena asked, her gloved hands coming up in a boxing stance. Myka chuckled warily as she pointed towards an alley between two run-down double-storied, moss covered buildings.  
“I hope this works” said Myka resolutely as she walked in and in quick strides was at the large metallic door at the end of the small alley. “Trust me, it will” said Helena enthusiastically as skipped to a stop next to Myka. Myka gave her a rueful smile as she rapped on the door, three times quickly and the last time with greater force, and waited.  
“Are you a little nervous darling?” asked Helena, leaning up to speak closer to Myka’s ear. “Your heart rate seems significantly increased”  
“I’m currently smuggling in a vampire into a werewolf lair. Of course, I’m more than just a little nervous” Myka snapped back.  
Just then the large door swung open with a groan, and an imposing figure loomed in the shadow behind it. “Bering” he flung the words after a minute’s pause as he recognized the werewolf. “What are you doing here again?”  
“John” Myka said with forced civility. “I’m here on duty. And this is my partner Agent Wells.” At this, the man came out into the dim light and Helena took an involuntary step back. His heavily tattooed arm strategically blocked the entrance, as he leaned forward a little (his long-flowing red beard almost reaching up to his knees) and peered at the second woman.  
“Why does she smell like a Tzatziki factory?” he asked, squinting his eyes and scratching his beard.  
“John” Myka tried again, shifting her weight from one foot to another. “We just need to ask Sam some questions. Will you please just let us in?”  
John (Big John, Helena added mentally) just stepped aside, his questioning eyes not leaving Helena’s face. As Myka slid past him, and Helena quickly after, he grunted out “Sam’s in the back room”  
Myka walked rapidly ahead, her gazed pinned on the hard floor beneath them as the first sounds of the wolves drifted out to them from the depths of the city’s forgotten, neglected underground labyrinth. Myka tried to drown out the noises of the excited, angry wolves and their enjoying audience by concentration on the steady dripping sounds of the water from the leaking pipes and the smell of dross that threatened to numb her senses. Helena on the other hand, looked excited and her loud gasp as they neared a clearing and finally got a view of the frenzied wolves- was one of awe. She watched with hardly covered lustful eyes, the 30 or so bare-bodied men, standing in a loosely formed circle and egging on two transformed wolves in the centre. Helena’s eyes roamed over the well-sculpted bodies of the men, their defined muscles of the thigh and finally travelled up to their throbbing vein, as they shouted and booed at the wolves. The wolves themselves looked majestic- large, muscular bodies, not a grotesque bulkiness, but defined musculature and smooth fur coats glistening with sweat and coloured with blood. Their fangs gritted in anger, mouths dripping with blood and saliva, the claws always ready for imminent attack. As the grey-coat wolf lurched at the larger black wolf and both skidded half-way across the floor scattering their audience, a small hush fell over the group. But just as soon, the black wolf had turned them over and was now standing with its claw’s digging into the grey wolf’s neck and the crowd jumped up roaring.  
Myka was not watching the match. She knew it all intimately. And disliked it with all her heart. She was watching Helena, who seemed like a kid who had just got a new x-box and couldn’t wait to explore it. Helena’s heavily-lidded eyes, broke away from the match and to Myka, with a look that seemed equally pained and pleasured.  
“Are you okay?” asked Myka as Helena drifted closer to her.  
“You have to admit darling, that this is oddly stimulating” Helena answered, her voice coming out in low rasps.  
“It’s disgusting” stated Myka angling her body away and prompting Helena to follow her across the room. “They are just a bunch of uncontrolled animals at the moment. I wonder how they will explain their bruises at office tomorrow.”  
“Oh Myka, you are no fun” Helena complained, but Myka simply shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe. But you don’t really get it.”   
Before Helena could ask her what, Myka was pushing open a glass door and ushering her inside. The backroom was actually a maintenance room, with power boxes and switchboards lining one end of the wall. However, its current occupants were using it as recreational room. There was a refrigerator in one corner and a green-velvet billiards board at the opposite end. In the centre however, was a poker table with a game in progress.  
As soon as the two entered, the loud raucous conversation stopped and Myka watched a tall, blonde werewolf stiffen and lift his head slightly to sniff the air, before he turned around and announced amiable “Myka!” As the other men watched, Sam rose from his chair and in three quick strides wrapped up Myka in a long hug. Helena noted Myka’s hesitant arms rising to wrap around him, before she tightly clasped the shirt on his back and released it just as quickly. Sam stepped back slightly as he released her, but he still held her in his arms. “It’s so good to see you bunny” he said, his warm blue eyes regarding her face closely. Myka swiped her bottom lip with her tongue, a nervous gesture that Helena had noted, but before she could answer, Sam was already turning his head towards Helena. “And who is this?” he asked, a little arrogantly according to Helena.  
Myka kept her eyes trained on Sam. “I’m on duty here, Sam. And this is my partner Agent Wells.”  
“Pleased to meet you Mr….?” the Brit was stepping forward with a proffered hand. Sam released Myka as he took Helena’s hand confidently in his own, and leaned his body forward as he answered with a seductive smirk “Martino.”  
As pleased as Myka was that Sam had been fooled by Helena’s camouflage, she was a little irked at the obvious flirting. She pointedly cleared her throat. “We are here to question you”  
“Of course!” Sam said, slowly dropping Helena’s hand and turning towards Myka. “Myka Bering, always on duty. Just like Old times.” His smiled fondly before he looked back at his mates and shouted “Remember the old times, boys?”  
There was a load answering melee of grunts and laughter. “Old Times” a lean-faced, grey-haired man, asked from the table. “Ten years ago…you remember that pup?” His question and sneering laughter was aimed at Myka, and Helena would have wiped the smile right off his face if Myka hadn’t continued on with her professional approach.  
“There was a murder last night in your territory” she told, looking directly at Sam. Sam pulled the chair towards him with a lazy arrogant gesture that reeked with authority and a silent threat to anyone who dared question it. He sat down and took his time answering. “Was it a good one?”  
“One of the brutal, obvious ones, that force me to visit the scene and do my job- cover up his sorry ass and re-adjust the slipped shroud of secrecy.” Myka answered evenly.  
“And you’ve come to me because it happened in my territory” asked Sam, raising his eyebrows. “Bunny, you’ve known me for years. I’ve always obeyed the wolf laws. I’ve always followed the demands of the stupid strenuous Demonic Laws. I take care of the bodies of my prey. You remember the girl you brought home? I took care of her for you, didn’t I?”  
Myka sighed as she looked away, rubbing the back of her neck. Helena could see what Sam was doing. He was trying to appeal to her emotions, throw her off her game. And she decidedly disliked the nickname “bunny”. Myka was anything but a bunny!  
“Sam, you are not a suspect. I’m just doing my job. Asking you if you know of something? Of someone? Of some intruder in your territory? If you’ve witnessed some other aberrant behaviour of this sort?”  
“Hmm, let me get this straight” Sam said, arching his back, his hands raised above his head. His eyes bore into Myka as he settled back down and answered. “Are you asking me if I have trouble protecting my territory from other werewolves?” He laughed. “Have you forgotten who I am, Myka?”  
Myka noticed Helena rolling her eyes and slowly shook her head.  
“Have I observed intruders in my territory? No one has had the nerve to challenge me yet. Have I noticed them doing something wrong? Well bunny, that isn’t my job now really, is it?” Sam asked, all playfulness now gone from his voice.  
“Sam” Myka tried again “I would really appreciate if you could help with our investigation. I…”  
“And why would I help you?” Sam’s booming voice cut her off. “I take you in, I treat you well, I care for you, and you suddenly decided I’m not good enough for you and abandon me just like that. And now, you dare to bring that vile creature into my club…” his eyes wandered over to Helena. Helena’s body stiffened, her eyes narrowed and fists tightened even as Myka spluttered with her words.  
“Did you really think you could fool me?” Sam stood up and kicked out the chair out of his way. “The garlic masks her smell. But I can tell a vampire when I see one”.  
As Sam stalked towards Helena, the vampire noted with no less pleasure that Myka had moved swiftly between them, covering Helena’s slighter frame with her own. Sam stopped when he saw the raised gun in Myka’s hand.  
“You wouldn’t shoot me, would you?” Sam’s voice was threateningly low. “And for what? That vampire?”  
When Myka resolutely stood her ground, Sam’s eyes hardened. He held back the other werewolves with a simple gesture of his hand. “It’s okay Bunny. I won’t hurt your little friend. I forgive you. But I need you to leave now. And never walk back in here with that thing, ever again!”  
Myka didn’t wait for him to change his mind, or for the other werewolves to jump in. She swiftly turned on her heels and pulled Helena out of the room with her. As they walked past the make-shift fighting ring, they studiously avoided the gaze of the other werewolves.  
Once finally back on the street, Myka heaved a sigh of relief. “Wow, that was a disaster” Then, she added softly to Helena “I’m sorry about that.”  
But the vampire was mysteriously smiling. “What?” Myka asked, unable to comprehend the Brit’s unusual ways.  
“Didn’t you get it? He never answered the question. I think we may be onto something here” Helena’s eyes twinkled as she watched the realization slowly dawn on Myka’s face. “You’re right!”  
“Amn’t I always?” Helena said, before sauntering off with a distinct swagger. Myka stood and watched dumbly as Helena shook out the garlic pods from her coat and smelled it. “Nope, can’t wear it any longer” she stated with finality. Myka smiled at her antics and finally caught up with her. She could now clearly smell Helena again.  
The two walked in a short, relative silence before Helena popped the question “So, Pup?”  
“Well, he meant to insult me” Myka explained calmly. “Everyone just treats me like a kid. Have had to fight really hard to be taken seriously at times.”  
“How old are you?”  
“52” Myka answered, shyly.  
“New-Born” Helena teased easily. “And Bunny?”  
“Umm can we not talk about that part?” Myka groaned.  
“Wait, let me guess. Taking into account what I witnessed back there- the dilated irises, quickened heartbeats, awkward eye glances- why, I would surmise you two were lovers!”  
Myka coughed and almost tripped over the tiny minuscule stone that lay on the street, before Helena slipped a cool arm and straightened her up, rubbing her hands down her back soothingly. “And I shall take that as a yes!” she proclaimed.  
“Can you stop with that heartbeat thingy? It’s unnerving” Myka complained childishly.  
Helena smirked. “If you stop smelling people’s fears, then maybe”  
“Well-argued” said Myka, looking away but happy that Helena’s arms were still inter-looped with hers. “So…”she cleared her throat lightly. “You were born in 1866?”  
“How do you know that?” asked Helena, pleasantly surprised.  
“Artie mentioned it once” At Helena’s continued raised eyebrow she acquiesced. “Eidetic memory”. Bolstered by Helena’s smile, she pushed on. “And your name is H.G.Wells”  
“Yes, I told you that already. What are you getting at?” Helena asked, her curiosity evident.  
“I’m asking…well, I was wondering…If you could be…If it was likely that you are the famous…” Myka averted her gaze as Helena smiled indulgently at her.  
“Miss Bering, are you asking me if I’m possibly the famous author who was also the father of science fiction?” Helena’s face exploded in a grin.  
Myka stopped walking and Helena turned towards her. “Are you?” she asked, her voice hardly louder than a whisper.  
Helena’s eyes searched her face for a heartbeat, she stepped closer to Myka and parted her lips. Myka’s eyes were immediately arrested to those luscious lips. She swallowed visibly. Almost immediately Helena stepped back and snorted a laugh. Keeping her eyes trained on Myka, and walking backwards, Helena’s voice was rang out in the silent night “It’s a mystery!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there. I know the layout is currently a problem but I struggle fixing this. If you really dislike it that much, there is an alternative version on FF with the space between the lines. Also the version on FF is published a day earlier than on AO3.

“I’m a mare. We like to sit”  
Claudia’s voice drifted out of the semi-open door to Myka who was just coming out of the Arsenal after putting back her gun and bullets and the special wooden stake that she carried. Though Myka was not averse to use of weapons when situation demanded it, she nevertheless held a general dislike for them.  
She was about to head home for a warm bath and a long sleep when the ever-enigmatic Brit’s voice arrested her to her spot. “Well, that is quite interesting Claudia. But I wasn’t referring to your eating habits specifically. I was wondering if you considered doing something different other than sitting behind your desk all day in the office.”  
“Are you telling me I lack a social life?” Claudia’s tone was light, but defensive. “O old girl, I have a social life you’d be envious of”  
Helena’s voice was a little impatient as she hastened to explain. “Claudia! What I meant was would you like to join me on some rather interesting night-time activity?”  
Myka’s curiosity at Helena’s proposal was mirrored in Claudia’s squeaked out question “You and Me?”  
“Well,” Helena drawled. “Not just you and me. I meant we could ask Leena and Myka to join us. What do you say in today’s parlance…yes, we could have a girl’s night out! Go to a club, get drunk, dance. What do you say? You are legally allowed to drink aren’t you?”  
Myka could just picture Claudia’s face at that. She held back a chuckle.  
“Leena can’t come. Daywalking and all that shit” Claudia explained.  
“Oh” Helena said, only slightly deflated. “Maybe we could still ask Myka” she added hopefully.  
Myka decided it was the right time to announce her presence. She walked into the room and asked casually “Ask me what?”  
“H.G wants me and you to socialize.” Claudia said, swivelling her chair around to face Myka as she dropped onto the couch. Helena was leaning against Artie’s desk and her face lit up with a smile as she took in Myka’s form- her eyes assiduously surveying her from top to bottom.  
“But Helena, don’t you know Claudia is a social butterfly?” Myka looked at Helena with a playful glint in her eye. “You should ask all her non-corporeal online friends!”  
Claudia’s protest was drowned out by Helena’s argument. “Oh, come on! Even back in Victorian England we appreciated balls and the mere idea of dancing had us all talking for weeks. When did the modern age become so prudish?”  
Claudia’s “not prudish” whine found support in Myka’s emphatic “We appreciate dancing”  
“I sense a but” Helena smiled easily.  
“But where would we go? A vampire and a werewolf showing up with a mare at a demon club would be whole lot of unwanted trouble” Myka knew her reasonable answer would be enough to dissuade Helena.  
“Who said anything about a demon club?” Helena smirked.  
“Aha, you want to go hunting!” Claudia finally caught her grift and she held out her hand to H. G to high five.  
Helena gingerly touched her palm to Claudia. “Ah, well I never said hunting hunting. But I do find the idea of mixing food and entertainment extremely pleasing”. She turned to grin at Myka. “What do you say Myka?”  
Myka took a deep breath and looked for Helena’s expectant face to Claudia’s excited one. “I don’t hunt humans during this time of the month. Wolf Law” she protested feebly.  
“But you can come still come with us, yes?” Helena’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “I promise it will be fun Myka”  
Myka held her ground for a few more heartbeats, but who was she kidding? The way Helena was looking at her, she wouldn’t deny the woman anything in this universe.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The Three Broomsticks was not the most popular night club in town. But with a moderately talented DJ, friendly bartenders and strategically arranged lighting, the club did well to attract a fair amount of people on Friday nights. Myka was currently perched on a high bar stool, nursing her rum and coke as she followed Claudia and Helena’s uninhibited movements on the dance floor. She did plan on joining them on the dance floor (sooner rather than later if Helena kept moving like that) but she needed a few drinks to release the tension in her muscles. There was no way she could get intoxicated, werewolf blood required copious amounts of alcohol to get to that stage, but there were other intoxicants out there for here tonight. Namely, human blood and one certain demon.  
The said demon was currently spinning Claudia to DOA’s _You Spin Me Round_. Claudia giggled and twisted appropriate to the music before rolling in Helena to herself. The two fell into a joint giggle-fest before Helena spun away from her and bumped into a fashionably dressed, and already wasted, tall blonde with unending legs. The track changed seamlessly into a faster one and Helena deftly pulled the willing woman to herself, and the two began their intimate dance as Claudia found a bespectacled young man with neon green askew tie.   
“Are you here often?” a male voice spoke close to Myka’s right ear and she turned to give him a cursory glance. “No” she answered, only back to watching Helena’s hands roaming up and down the blonde’s back as the woman pressed herself flush against Helena’s body and leaned her head back. Their hips swayed rhythmically and Myka could, even from this distance see the woman raise her head and whisper something seductively in Helena’s ears.  
The near violent reactions being caused in her body would be the reason why she had neither seen the man drift closer to her in his chair or the way his hand had come up to the bar counter behind her and the way he was now leaning into her and offering to buy her a drink. “Uhmm” Myka answered, or she thinks she answered as he watched Helena expertly dip the blonde a little, just so that she could easily latch her mouth to her unassuming prey’s throat. The dancers around them hardly seemed to notice them and the blonde herself seemed to be enjoying herself way too much as Helena drove her fangs in and sucked her blood. As Helena drank, Myka felt hot liquid pool between her thighs. So when the man placed his calloused hands upon her knee Myka took in a sharp breath and glared at him. The man quickly removed his hands, but the lecherous smile was still stuck on his face. Myka knew that the feral werewolf qualities in her that shone through her human form made her instantly attractive to humans. It did not work the same way it worked with vampires, but the easy authority and confidence was enough to turn them on. “Leave” she said, her voice threateningly low and eye’s shining greener than usual. She didn’t have to tell him twice. Left on her own again, Myka turned her attention back to Helena hunting.  
By then, Helena had unattached her fangs from the woman and was looking into the woman’s eyes. The woman seemed to be pleading, her body arched into Helena’s and Helena was running her palms soothingly along her back. _Such a clever way of hunting_ , Myka thought to herself. Not only was Helena satisfied, but the prey seemed to be satisfied as well. Myka drowned the rest of her drink in one single gulp and stalked over to the two entwined bodies in the centre of the dance floor.  
As Helena saw Myka approach, she gently swept the last of the glistening blood from the woman’s throat before releasing her and walking towards Myka.  
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before she spoke “Finally decided to join us have you? I was wond…” Before Helena could complete her sentence Myka had pulled her towards herself, her hands finding steady purchase on Helena’s hips, she lowered her mouth to the Brit’s ears and whispered hoarsely “You’ve still got blood on your lips”.  
Helena’s surprise was only momentary and she quickly brought her arms up to encircle Myka’s neck. As Myka watched, Helena slowly licked off the last drops of blood. The song changed, the tempo slowed a little, and Helena began moving her hips along the rhythm, urging Myka to join her. Myka gave in and let Helena lead, but the slow languorous movements of the woman pressed close to her, were too much for Myka. She ran her claws deeper into the flesh at Helena’s hip and lowering her head, hiding her face in Helena’s inky black hair, she let out her words in a rush “Show me how”.  
Helena shuddered visibly, partly drew to Myka’s hot breath on her neck. She pulled herself away from Myka and regarded the young woman carefully. Myka’s eyes were now burning a bright green and as Helena placed her palm on the young woman’s chest, she felt the thundering heartbeat. Helena swallowed and lowered her eyes under Myka’s piercing gaze.  
“What?” Myka asked, for they were now standing still on the dance floor amidst a sea of sweating, swaying humans.  
Helena lifted her gaze back to Myka “I assure you darling, you are dancing just fine” she croaked.  
The opening bars of _Take Me_ by Tiesto and Kyler England began playing, and a loud murmur of approval arose from the crowd. The werewolf watched Helena’s darkened eyes- black as the blackest, moonless night in the longest winter that had been seen in the northern lands. She lifted her hand and brushed aside Helena’s hair from her face. She then touched her forehead to Helena’s and said, her voice coming out in rasps “I’m not talking about the dancing and you know that.” When Myka lifted her head to gaze into Helena’s eyes again, the vampire’s face lit up with a slow smile.   
“This could get interesting” whispered back Helena softly as she stepped up closer to Myka.  
Helena’s first touch- up Myka’s arm- hit the werewolf like a jolt of electric current. _Pretty soon there’ll be nowhere left to run away…_ Helena seemed to be lip-synching, and Myka was enthralled by her lips. She seemed to be drawn closer to them by some sort of magnate, and when she finally allowed herself to give herself away, she lowered her head to rest on Helena’s shoulder and bury her nose in her hair. Helena’s scent was more intoxicating than any alcoholic drink Myka could think of. She fisted the inky tresses in her hand and yanked Helena’s head back in a rare moment of uncontrolled reign of passions. Helena hissed in pain, but her eyes spelt her arousal clearly. She brought up her hand to brush against Myka’s cheek and the werewolf leaned further into the touch, her lips brushing against Helena’s long fingers.  
Like an oft-practised waltz, Helena gently tilted Myka’s neck. _It’s never or now…_ Helena lowered her lips to the soft skin of Myka’s throat, grazing her teeth gently over the throbbing vein, and Myka growled at the agonizingly slow gestures. In retaliation, she dug her nails deeply into the vampire’s back, pulling her up, slipping a single jean-clad knee between Helena’s thighs and trapping her against her. But Helena would not capitulate so easily. She continued the light grazing of fangs, placing a trail of open mouthed kisses up Myka’s neck, her jaw line…and with the final burst of the music _Baby won’t you take me…_ her lip found Myka’s and she felt the soft pliable lips open up to her.  
And just like that, Myka was pushing her away. The soft velvet snatched away from just within Helena’s reach. A bewildered Myka stared at Helena for more than a few heartbeats, before she turned and strode out of the club. Helena stood there, hands flailing by her side, already missing Myka’s body wrapped deliciously around her. Had she read Myka’s intentions wrong? She shook her head and ran a tired hand through her hair. Her dejection was visible in her gait as she walked towards a wide-eyed Claudia sitting at the near end of the bar.  
Claudia jumped down from her seat before turning to face the slumped figure of Helena beside her. “I never thought I’d say this. But I think that picture of you two- on the dance floor- doing THAT, whatever that was- will haunt me in my dreams”


	6. Chapter 6

On Saturdays Myka was usually on-call, which meant that she finally had time to curl up in bed with her chosen reading for the week. This was one of those days when Myka allowed that restrictive garb of discipline to slip off her shoulders, and allow herself time to unwind and relax, letting the words of her favourite authors soothe her. But this Saturday there would be none of it.

Myka was curled up on the couch, her feet tucked underneath her, a soft, cosy blanket clutched to her chest and Kafka's Metamorphosis held limply in her hand. For the past hour she had been trying to concentrate on the words- words which she has read and re-read many times before- but her thoughts keep drifting away to the night before. She had managed only fitful sleep, and that combined with the fact that the full moon was near at hand, Myka was agitated beyond the calming influence of Kafka's words.

She replayed the scene from the club a million times in her head, till it was almost ready to explode. The feel of Helena's body moving in rhythm under her palms, the sensations produced by her grazing, teasing teeth and…the kiss. The almost kiss, Myka amends in her head. She refuses to accept the fact that she kissed the vampire, maybe even enjoyed the feel of her lips against hers, had wanted… _needed_ her so badly for one moment that she had been willing to let the tenuous Truce that held the Demon World together, snap and wither away. Wither away for just a moment long enough where she could _feel_ Helena- around her, one her, inside her.

Myka shook her head and jiggled her shoulders as if wanting to physically purge away those thoughts from her head. She reminded herself that she was only intrigued by Helena's hunting technique, that it had nothing to do with the woman herself. Whatever had transpired between them last night had been a product of the Vampire's skills to seduce its prey and Myka had been a willing prey.

_"I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself."_ Kafka's words hit home. With a frustrated growl, Myka shut the book and dropped her head back and the arm rest, shielding her eyes with the back of her palm, the soft litany of "no no no" escaping her lips. She needed to do something, anything, that would take her mind off this woman and the serious consequences of violating a 300 year old Truce. "Coffee!" she pronounced, lifting herself off the couch in a lithe movement, shaking off the blanket and racing into the kitchen. Coffee, held the answers to all the mysteries of the world was a belief Myka strongly subscribed to.

Brewing the perfect coffee was an art and Myka decided she would concentrate on the physical motions of brewing the coffee so as not to think about the luscious red lips; she would concentrate on the getting out her favourite coffee mug- the black one with the Kurt Vonnegut quote and not on the persisted tinkling at the end of her fingertips which had retained the sense memory of Helena's body. She would concentrate solely on the dark bubbling liquid and not think of the associations it brought with it- the rising arousal in Helena's darkened eyes, her shallow breaths against Myka's overtly sensitive skin, and the soft, fleeting touches of Helena's hands that had almost driven Myka to the edge.

"Bloody Clever Hunters!" Myka shouted out, her voice ringing across her apartment and her hand rising up to rub her neck. She leaned down on her hands against the counter and drew a deep breath. The loss of her normal self-control was no surprise, and Myka turned her head to look out of the window at the afternoon sun. Two days, Two nights. Her hand clenched tighter against the counter-top. She rationalised that it was the wariness of hunting in her werewolf form combined with her piqued curiosity of Helena's ways that was causing such violent reactions in her. There were arguably, more reasons she could give herself, but she assiduously shut it all out and poured herself a large mug of coffee before taking up her abandoned seat.

Myka sat sipping her coffee in silence, waiting for the caffeine to hit her, not that she needed any more of it, given how high strung she was. But at least, trying to track the intimate changes of her own body was proving easier than returning to the truths spilling from the book. She fingered the spine of the hardcover that bore traces of having been lovingly caressed for years and somehow the action, the nothingness of the mundane action was soothing. So it was that when her cell phone rang, Myka was startled and she frantically tossed the blankets aside to retrieve it. When she saw Claudia's name flash across the screen, she prayed that the young mare was calling her about the case. She could definitely do with a distraction at the moment.

"Claud, please tell me we have a case" Myka said as soon as she picked up.

"Hey Myka, I'm sorry I disturbed your me-time, there's a …wait. Wait you are happy I called?" Claudia's confusion was evident in her voice. "Dude, is everything…"

"yeah, yeah, everything's fine. I was just bored today. No chores at home, no books to read…" Myka let the blatant lie splutter away, praying underneath her breath that Claudia would let it slide.

"Oh-kayy" Claudia was clearly not buying it, but she continued in an unsure voice. "Well, there's been another murder. The 911 call and radio-chatter suggests identical wound pattern to our previous victim. Pete isn't picking up his call, and you're the one closest to the crime scene. So I was wondering if you could check…"

"Yeah, I'll be right there Claud. Just text me the address" Myka cut her-off, already rushing to grab her jacket and keys.

"Oh umm the detectives have already been dispatched to the scene, so go prepared" Claudia warned before wrapping up the call.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The sun was setting against the western sky by the time Myka reached the pavement outside the latest victim's apartment. But there was still a fading natural light and the air was not yet chill. If Pete was unavailable, the only other person Claudia would send to partner her would be Steve. So she scanned the row of cars standing in front of the two-storey brick building, for Steve's modest blue sedan. He probably wasn't here yet, Myka surmised when she couldn't spot it and began trudging up the steps, a hand partially covering her over-sensitive nostrils against the onslaught of vile smells from the run-down apartment and the dead occupant in the second-floor.

When Myka reached the victim's apartment, a smartly dressed cop promptly stopped her "Ma'am you can't step inside. This is an active crime scene." Myka simply flashed her Secret-Service badge and breezed past him without a glance.

"Hey", it was a slightly raspy feminine voice that made her stop and turn around. The tall brunette's face was scrunched up in annoyance "Who let you in?"

"Myka Bering, Secret Service. We've met before, remember?" Myka held out her hand but the Detective simply stood there with her hands on her hips.

"Oh the group of troublesome agents who messed up our last crime scene" She stepped up closer to Myka and crossed her arms across her chest. "Still doesn't explain why you're here."

"Detective…?" Myka was trying to be pleasant, and it was hard, given the position of the moon.

"Harmon" the Detective answered in a non-nonsense tone while Myka took in the rest of the room, noting the blond ME hunched over the dead body in the next room. Realizing that Detective Harmon was still waiting for her explanation, Myka forced a smile back on her face.

"Detective Harmon, we believe this may be the work of a Serial Killer." She saw the Detective's imperceptive nod at that, "and as the President's guard, a Serial Killer on the loose is never a good thing" and with that Myka quickly skipped away into the next room. Detective Harmon was right behind her "But how does it concern the…"

"Is that the person who made the 911 call?" Myka cut in.

"Yes the victim's brother" Harmon supplied, still wondering why the Secret Service would be involved in a homicide case.

As Myka moved away from the doorway towards the middle aged man sitting in the corner with a bewildered expression on his face, she heard the guard on the front door call for Detective Harmon and announce "Another one of them". Myka heaved a sigh of relief, surely Steve with his Zen personality was better at handling such people.

As Myka shook hands with the brother John Thompson, she heard the distinct British female voice greeting the flustered Detective Harmon. "Lovely seeing you again Detective" At that, Myka turned her head to look at Helena Wells leaning against the doorway, her hands in her pockets and turning up her charm for the young Detective who seemed with every passing moment less inclined to be angry at the intrusion. Why did Claudia have to send her? Myka glanced out of the window and the evening was well underway. She sighed and confined herself to the fate that she was to work with Helena for the rest of the evening. When had Helena Wells become so much of a concern in Myka's life?

"I'm Helena by the way" Helena's silken voice floated over to her. The Detective nimbly took the pale hand in hers and cleared her throat before answering "Jane Harmon".

"Jane, what a lovely name" Helena continued, now clasping the detective's hand in both of hers and leaning into her. "You are British" she heard the Detective splutter. "What are you…"

"Result of the all the governmental bonhomie darling" Helena answered easily.

Myka's irritation was clearly evident in her voice when she called out loudly "We don't have all night Wells". She wanted to get over with the interview and working the crime scene. The faster she did it, the faster she could get rid of Helena. It had nothing to do with her flirting with the clueless detective.

"Ah…yeah, well come in" Harmon's tone was now friendlier than before and Myka could detect from the corner of her eyes, the detective surreptitiously checking out Helena from head to toe. Myka had to use every last ounce of her self- control to not stalk over to the woman and rip out her throat. She shook her head to remove the violent image from her head. The Moon! This was all because of the impending full moon.

"Am I allowed to?" Helena asked, the question now aimed at the man sitting on the chair next to Myka. The man who, for the moment seems to have forgotten the loss of his brother and was way too interested in checking out the attractive British woman in black leather. Helena met Myka's eyes for the first time she arrived, before quickly averting them and Myka detected none of the whirlwind emotions from last night in them. With a slight deflation, only slight, for Myka had no idea how she expected the woman to behave, Myka turned to Mr Thompson and asked him "Could you invite my colleague in? She's too proper…"

Myka didn't have to complete her sentence, for the man enthusiastically chimed in "Of course, she can come in" even as he excitedly stood up and over turned the chair in the process. With a single finger to the man's chest, Myka held back he man as Helena brushed past the confused Detective, not missing a chance to smirk up at her.

"And what do we have here?" Helena asked, sniffing at the air and coming to stand right beside Myka, in fact a little too close. But that was how Helena had always been- no regard for personal space at all. At once, the smell of rotting flesh and human blood was undercut by the strong smell of the vampire.

The ME seemed to have become aware of Helena as well and she adjusted her skirt before shyly ducking away her head. Myka couldn't see Helena's face which was turned away from her, but she was pretty sure Helena was offering the blonde one of her seductive smiles.

"I was just about to talk to the victim's brother, when you arrived and disrupted it with your little show" Myka made no effort to hide her displeasure. It was simply unprofessional of Helena, she told herself.

"A show?" Helena asked, chuckling.

"Maybe you could examine the victim while I interview the brother here" Myka's voice was a low growl.

For the first time then, Helena looked at Myka- directly into her eyes. Her hand rose up unconsciously to touch Myka's arm, but then something seemed to stop her and she pulled it back slightly, only to run it through her hair. "Yes, its best we separate" With that she turned away and announced loudly "Maybe Detective Harmon could help me?"

Myka watched as Helena and the Detective walked to the other end of the room, and stood- Helena every now and then leaning close to the other woman- as they examined the victim. Myka tried to collect herself and concentrate on the interview, but for one, the brother was half-drunk and had no real information and two, the vampire's scent was wreaking havoc to Myka's system. With a final nod to the victim's brother and an awkward pat on his back, she made her away across to the three. The ME stood up, bagging the evidence "I've never seen such a brutally committed murder before these two"

"So you think these are connected too?" Helena put Myka's thoughts into words.

"Well, I can't be one hundred per cent sure, but the external evidence at hand suggests the high likelihood of the two murders being committed by the same person." The blonde answered as Detective Harmon nodded gravely.

"Get anything useful?" Harmon asked Myka as she joined them.

"Nothing. He found the body just two hours back. And this…man" Myka didn't know if she could call the shredded remains on the floor a man anymore, "has been dead for…what, close to 24 hours if I'm not wrong?" she looked at the ME, who nodded her head in concurrence. But when Myka turned her head towards Harmon to ask her next question, she found the detective completely entranced by the Helena's hands on her forearm. The rage building up within Myka was unnatural, but when the words finally spilt from her mouth, she didn't find them unwarranted.

"Maybe you two could quit flirting so we could actually work on this case?" Myka's harsh words seemed to snap the detective out of her trance and she consciously moved away from Helena, even as the Brit turned to look at Myka with an amused expression. But Myka continued. "I'm sure Detective Harmon has important police work to do, like eating donuts or writing up crappy reports. And Agent Wells, we need to talk". With that Myka turned on her heels and exited the room, leaving three stunned faces in her wake.

Myka was waiting out on the pavement when Helena joined her. Myka's eyes were burning with anger and she couldn't even explain why. Of course Helena flirted with humans, men, women, anyone really who walked on two legs and had blood to offer her- that was part of how she hunted, and part of what made Myka so drawn towards her. Helena's cocky smile fell from her face when she saw Myka's obviously distressed state. Her face instantly softened and she walked up to Myka.

"Are you alright darling" she asked, gently steering Myka away from police officers hustling in and out of the door, to a more private spot, under the street light. In this soft glow of the street lamp, Myka could see Helena's eyes clearly again, and she detected concern in them. She wanted to scream "NO I'm NOT BLOODY ALRIGHT" but she caught herself and simply sighed. "Your heartbeat's really elevated" Helena informed, stepping closer to Myka and tilting her face downwards towards her. Myka's eyes drifted over the vampire's features, the slightly-parted lips seem to render her immobile. She traced the arch of her neck and the black tresses pooled at her shoulder. She thought back to last night, and remembered the sensation of fisting her hands in them. "I…" the words chocked in Myka's throat.

"It's the moon right?" Helena asked suddenly, and with that she stepped away, holding Myka at arm's length. "Claudia said something about you turning in two days. And If I'm not wrong, your werewolf urges become more pronounced as the time for transformation draws closer" Helena's voice had regained the impersonal tone she used often in field.

The reality knocked back Myka a little and she rocked a little unsteadily on her feet. But as Helena's hand came up to wrap around hers in order to steady her, Myka brushed it away and stood up straighter. "Yeah, it's the moon" she answered gruffly. Here she was trying to calm her emotions, beating herself over what happened last night and Helena seems to have already forgotten about it. "Just…just the moon" Myka's voice was no more than a pained whisper. "I think I'll head back. I don't feel too well, could you let Artie know what we found?" She was already stepping down from the pavement onto the streets when cool fingers wrapped around her hand, stopping her own her way.

Helena was looking at her with an inexplicable look in her eyes. "Sure." She answered after several heartbeats. The she let go of Myka's hand, and Myka felt a sense of emptiness envelope her. "No problem, I'll handle Artie. Feel free to go home. And Myka," her voice was softer, her eyes a shade lighter than Myka had ever seen them- maybe it was just the street light playing tricks- Helena finished with a soft smile "Take care" and released her fingers.

Myka tumbled down the street, her feet moving on their own accord, her mind blank, only Helena's "take care" ringing repeatedly in her head.


	7. Chapter 7

The doorbell rang. Myka groaned and buried her face deeper in her pillow. It was 9 am (at least the last time she checked) and she felt like a truck had run over her head. She had been able to catch only an hour's sleep last night. After she came home from the crime scene, she had spent the night tossing and turning in bed, thinking about, who else but Helena! It didn't help matters that the full moon was fast approaching.

The doorbell rang again and Myka growled as she rolled off the bed, landing on the floor with a thud. Getting up, she shivered lightly in her bed shorts and T-shirt. Pulling the sheets off the bed and blanketing herself in it, she ambled across the apartment to the door. When the doorbell rang for the third time, she yelled out a "COMING" and grumbled under her breath.

The anger and irritation quickly gave way to shock as she opened the door to find a black ghost-like figure standing in the hallway. Shock faded away to confusion as she realized that it was a person completely covered in a sheet. And wearing ridiculously large sunglasses covering half their face. And black leather gloves. And a sort of black face mask. It was in short a mix of The Grim Reaper and Casper the friendly ghost!

"Ehm…Yes?" Myka asked, when she finally found her voice.

"Hello Myka" and the familiar British accent hit her.

"Helena?" Myka's confusion simply sky-rocketed. "Is that you under all that fabric?"

"Yes. Your blanket is lovely too." Helena replied, her voice muffled, but the mirth in them was still distinguishable.

"But what…?" the younger woman was cut off by Helena's "We should talk". Shaking her head slightly, Myka held open the door further and said "Well, if you say so…"

But Helena made no move to come in and simply stood there clearing her throat.

"Oh. Yeah. Uh…Helena you are invited to come in" Myka's lips quirked up in a smile as the Vampire virtually skipped past her with a "Thank You Darling".

Once inside, Myka watched Helena as she took in the living room. "Ah, electric blinds. Excellent!" Ghost-Helena turned around to face her. "Do you mind if we shut them all?"

"Not at all. The remote's on the coffee table" Myka answered as she leaned against her book shelf and pulled the blanket tighter around her frame.

As the noise of the blinds closing stopped, Helena began taking off her shades and ripped off the sheet and unceremoniously flung off her gloves onto the couch. Myka followed her movements, her green eyes glowing brighter in the newly descended darkness of the room.

"Phew!" Helena announced, finally standing in front of Myka, clad in her patent black jeans and brown leather jacket. Hands on her hips, she shook out her hair from the bun, finally lifting her head just in time to catch Myka subconsciously licking her lips. But before she could say anything, Myka turned away and walked into the kitchen.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, "Shouldn't you be sleeping in your coffin somewhere?"

"You know exactly why I'm here Myka" the intent in Helena's voice made Myka nearly drop the mugs she was retrieving from the cupboard.

"I…I have no idea…what" she stopped talking when Helena raised her eyebrow in a "quit it" gesture.

Myka took a deep breath before speaking. "About what happened at the club." Helena nodded lightly. They stood watching each other for a few heartbeats before Myka stated in a quavering voice "A vampire and a werewolf? Kissing? Do you realize where that leaves the Truce? Bad idea, Helena, very bad" With that Myka turned away to prepare the mugs.

"Do you want something to drink?" she asked, hoping Helena would drop the subject.

"Tea" Helena answered easily before moving fully into the kitchen and coming to rest against the countertop. "Myka do you really believe in the boundaries set-up by the Truce? I thought we agreed such old-fashioned terms…"

"It's important Helena" Myka said raising her voice just a little. "And sorry, tea's over. I'm making coffee. It's.." Myka's words were cut-off by Helena's hands wrapping around hers. Slowly, cautiously, as if she were treating a child, Helena tugged Myka towards her and she fumbled slightly, tripping over the trailing blanket.

"You felt something then" Helena whispered as she dropped her hands to Myka's waist and pulled the werewolf closer so that now Myka was standing between Helena's legs. The feeling that she was somehow being trapped was washed over by the intoxicating scent of the vampire who was whispering to her. "And yesterday at the crime scene. You were jealous of me flirting…" Myka could feel the smile on Helena's face even though in such close proximity she could not see her face.

As Helena raised her hand to brush against Myka's cheek, a low whimper escaped the werewolf. "We can't" she stated.

"I know" Helena replied, softly caressing Myka's face. "But do you want to?"

Myka closed her eyes under the sensations Helena's ministrations were producing. "Helenaaa…" the name came out in a moan. It was getting harder by the minute to control the wolf within her when the thing she had been craving for the most was just waiting for her to be taken up as sacrifice.

Helena seemed to sense the debate raging in Myka's mind and to obliterate it for once and for all, she stood up straighter, pushing herself fully against Myka and cupped the younger woman's face. "If I can't change your mind about the Truce then let me at least show you what you're missing out on. Cause Darling that Kiss in the club was nothing"

It was perhaps Helena's tone, or the seductive smell or the close proximity or the way she was running her finger along Myka's lower lips…or perhaps the combination of all, that finally sent Myka over the edge. She gripped Helena's waist tightly and let out a wolfish howl, opening her eyes and the seeming to sear the vampire by her intense gaze.

"Do not tease me Helena"

Helena laughed lightly before tilting her head up and claiming Myka's lips with her own. If Myka had been surprised during the first kiss, she was prepared for this one. And yet the mixture of Helena's cold lips and the softness of them seemed to surprise her. And slowly it seemed they were changing temperature. As if Myka's own body heat was transferring to Helena's. Helena's hands found purchase in Myka's curled locks as the two moved to deepen the kiss. Helena's tongue pushes ahead seeking permission and being easily granted and Myka cannot remember anything that has tasted better than Helena. Tongues battled for dominance, Helena's nails scratched against Myka's scalp even as Myka ran her nails down Helena's back.

It was Myka who broke the kiss and buried her face in the nook of Helena's shoulder. As Helena ran her fingers down her back, the blanket slipped away, pooling around her feet and Myka bit down on Helena's clavicle to keep her whimper from escaping. Helena hissed in pain and Myka was quick to lift her head.

"Darling, I thought I was the one who bit" Helena was smirking at her.

"If you only would" Myka said sighing and wrapping her arms tighter around the vampire. "I'm sorry, it's just the wolf. I lack self- control as the moon grows stronger" she clarified with a shrug of her shoulders.

Helena's voice was soft as she nudged against Myka's chin. "Myka you shouldn't be sorry for your real self. Ever. It's in your nature and never apologize about it to me." She waited for Myka to meet her eyes. "Okay?"

Myka nodded slowly. "it's just…I…I hate not being in control. It's…you on the other hand. I watched you. You were in control. You were able to let that woman walk away after you had fed. But it's not like that for me."

"Oh Myka," Helena was grinning up at her. "It's not funny" Myka complained. "What?" she asked when Helena continued to smirk.

"I can't wait to find out the out-of control you" she answered, rising slightly on her toes and biting Myka's earlobe. "Show me the Wolf" she whispered in Myka's ears.

Myka shook her head lightly, even as she felt heat pooling up in her lower abdomen. "Come darling" Helena insisted, rocking her hips against Myka's. "I'm a vampire. I can handle it." Then placing a light kiss on Myka's lips, she looked directly into the werewolves eyes and said gently "I've got you".

And that seemed to be enough for Myka as she grabbed Helena by her waist and smashed her lips roughly against the waiting cold ones. Fingers already working on ridding each other of their clothes, Myka pushed Helena against the nearest wall. The jacket dropped to the floor and was unceremoniously trampled upon. Her light-blue oxford though suffered worse as it was ripped off of her. Myka wanted Helena and she wanted her now. With a growl she ran her teeth into the soft flesh of Helena's cleavage. But the whimpers that it drew from Helena's mouth brought her back to her senses. She slowly released the flesh with a pop and kissed the newly formed bruise. She lifted her eyes and found Helena's now completely black ones.

"You're holding back" Helena told her in rasps. "I can take it." She said, dropping kisses down on Myka's jawline. "I can take you" she stated before digging her fangs into the base of Myka's neck and Myka loved the rush of blood it drew. The effect was instantaneous. She was on fire. Myka wasn't sure if Helena was using her vampire abilities of seduction at the moment, but she loved it nonetheless. When Helena kissed her again, she could taste her own blood on Helena's lips. Helena paused to rid Myka of her t-shirt and for a brief moment to marvel at her newly exposed breast. But Myka was impatient and dragged Helena's jeans-clad leg to secure it around her waist, before she lifted the woman and walked them towards the breakfast table in the centre of the kitchen. In one violent sweep the contents on the table were dusted off to the floor and Helena's back hit the table-top.

Myka bent over the woman- kissing, biting, sucking her way down the milky white skin from the valley between her breasts to the taut muscles of her stomach till she made her way to the jeans' band. Myka tried to concentrate long enough to unbutton the jeans but was pulled up by Helena tugging her hair. The vampire reattached her lips to Myka's before locking her legs around Myka's back and trying to flip them over. But Myka would have none of it. She locked Helena's arms above her head and rose only enough to look into Helena's eyes. What Helena saw in Myka's eyes was enough to convince her to give up the fight, she was winning anyway. Making sure that Helena was exactly where she wanted her to be, Myka made her way down to free her out of her jeans. First she tugged lightly, then she pulled harder but the jeans were almost like second skin and Myka was frustrated. She stood back on the ground to pull away the jeans with a violent jerk and threw it over her head. Helena laughed as she watched her poor pair of jeans go flying across the kitchen floor.

"Now the bra" she told Myka who was hovering above her now. As Myka began to unclasp it Helena's order became clearer. "No rip it away".

"I'm no dog" Myka replied but was immediately made to pay for it by Helena who bit her clavicle. Myka arched her neck allowing Helena more space. The vampire soothed the sting of the bite by running her tongue over it. "Now rip it off" she enunciated the words, slower this time, as her hands cupped Myka's breasts and kneaded them softly. Myka needed no further instructions as she did exactly what was asked. She bent down to take the freshly exposed nipple between her teeth as her hands slipped down, past the waistband of Helena's panties. It betrayed her lack of experience with women but Helena was there to guide her. She held Myka's hand and guided her to exactly where she wanted them and then let Myka's natural instincts take over. Myka watched as desire and anticipation caused the usual mask to fall away from Helena's face and the woman began rocking against her pressed palm with a wanton expression on her perfect features. She placed a rough kiss to Helena's mouth. She would drink her in, in all ways possible.

She entered Helena with one finger first, then added a second; her movements rapid and guided solely by Helena's reactions. As she hit a particular sensitive spot Helena cried out her name and Myka smiled as she drove her fingers deeper, faster. Helena arched up to her and Myka secured her arms around her as the older woman finally came apart in her arms with a softly whispered "Myka" on her lips. The werewolf cradled the woman close to her and buried her face in her soft black hair, waiting for Helena to come down from her high. Helena's lips trailed light kisses up Myka's breasts before she lifted her head to face the woman herself.

With a gentleness that was uncharacteristic to Helena, but which Myka realized she experienced more often when they were alone, Helena lowered Myka to the table-top.

"You're a tad bit over-dressed" Helena informed her in a hoarse voice before she pulled away Myka's shorts in one fluid motion. The cool air against her exposed heated core made Myka hiss in pleasure. Helena kissed her way up Myka's legs, stopping to kiss behind her knee which drew giggles from the aroused werewolf. "Ticklish" she warned Helena as she looped her fingers through Helena's hair. But Helena took her time working her way up to between Myka's thighs. The kiss turned to bites and Myka's arousal sky-rocketed.

"Helena please" Myka's voice sounded alien to even her ears. She realized she was begging now and she didn't seem to care. And surprisingly Helena granted Myka what she craved as kissed her clit before entering Myka with her tongue. No, make that her skilled tongue. 'Cause this was pleasure Myka had never known before. Helena was hitting those spots within her that she never even knew existed. As Helena increased the pressure and intensity of her strokes Myka dig her nails into the woman's shoulder to find some sort of grounding. Alas, it wasn't to be found, not when Helena was intent on destroying Myka with pleasure. Her body arched off the table as she came and she felt boneless as she sank back. But instead of the cold wood she found herself being wrapped up in Helena's arms as the woman manoeuvred the two of them to a sleeping position side by side.

Myka opened her eyes to find Helena staring intently at her. She leaned forward to kiss the vampire and was taken aback as she tasted herself on Helena's tongue. As she drew back she saw Helena grin.

"That was…" the older woman began but Myka cut her off "I know"

Helena pulled her closer to herself and Myka snuggled against the woman, burying her face in Helena's neck. "We should do that…"

"Uhun. I agree" Helena answered as they drifted off to content silence, a tangled heap on a wooden table in the centre of the kitchen.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: *dusts off Truce fic* Hello Truce lovers. Here's chapter 8. We haven't abandoned this fiction, no worries. But my lovely co-author lastminutegenius is currently a little busy until December with being a badass student and having rad grades and stuff. So... there probably won't be any updates on this fic until December. In return, this chapter is very long and werewolve-y.

Hours later Helena woke her with a lightly placed kiss to her temple.

"I appreciate sleeping at your side darling, but maybe we want to continue this in an actual bed?" The vampire slid off the table, brushing her fingers through her hair, a slight smirk on her lips.

The werewolf lazily turned her head to look at the digital clock on the microwave. She was just a little surprised to note that it was past noon. Yawning, she stretched herself, wincing slightly when she felt the sting from the bruises and bite-marks splayed over her body. Werewolves healed faster than humans, but not that fast enough.

Myka blinked as Helena turned on the lights in the kitchen. Pulling herself up on her elbows she surveyed the kitchen and realized what a mess they had made of it. Looking down her own body stained with now dried blood, she surmised it did quite look like she had been in a battlefield.

"Maybe a shower first?" She asked lifting her head. "And a bed? Shouldn't you be sleeping in your coffin?"

The vampire smiled as she bent to retrieve her (now destroyed) shirt from the floor, giving Myka a delicious view of her naked backside.

"I agree with the shower, but I think it's time we had a discussion about stereotypes dear." Helena answered, tossed the ripped shirt away, to dress and opting instead to pull Myka's T-shirt over her head. It was a little large for her and hung loosely around her shoulders but stopped just shy of her hipbones.

"Stereotypes?" Myka asked, sliding off the table and gingerly testing the strength still left in her legs.

"The coffins" Helena answered and turned around with a smile. But Myka's eyes were drawn to her mouth which was still smeared with blood. "We don't always sleep in them."

"So you sleep in a bed?" the curiosity rising in Myka's sleep addled voice as she tilted her head, asking Helena to follow her, and walked away from the kitchen. Once in the bathroom, she turned on the hot water in the shower and observed herself in the mirror before the steam could fog it. Her fingers lightly traced the bite marks along her neck, down to her breasts and trailing down to her upper thigh whimpering lightly at the slightly more bruised ones.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you're proud." Helena's voice was right next to the werewolf's ear and Myka jumped away startled.

"Shit! You frightened me!" Myka clasped her hands to her chest. "I didn't see you coming." Shaking her head, she looked at the mirror where her reflection stood alone and then doubled back to look at Helena standing next to her.

"So this myth about your kind is true?" Myka asked putting her hand out under the shower to test the temperature.

Helena nodded "At least one thing now that I've told you we don't hate garlic and don't sleep every night in a coffin."

"But how do you...?" The younger woman started.

"What?" Helena was clearly enjoying watching Myka look as if she was trying to solve a puzzle.

"You always manage to look good without mirror" Myka shyly completed her sentence.

Helena chuckled lightly before answering "Beauty is more a thing from the inside, darling. And thank you for the compliment."

"So you won't tell me how you do that without mirror reflection?"

The older woman shrugged "It's a mystery!"

Myka rolled her eyes before stepping under the shower. She hissed as the hot water came in contact with her still tender bruises. She let the water run down her body and wash away the caked blood. Rubbing her hands against a particular stubborn blood stain over her stomach, she turned around to discover Helena watching her with a fond expression, half amused and half something that Myka could not yet name.

"Are you gonna join me or what?" Myka asked, ducking her head lightly.

Helena pulled off the shirt over her head and stepped to the younger woman's side under the shower. Running her hand down Myka's sides, Helena turned her around to be able to kiss her properly.

But their activities under the shower remained innocent for the most parts. Myka's brain occupied itself with trying to understand how and why the vampire's body temperature kept fluctuating. It seemed Helena's body could absorb heat but not produce heat of its own. Later, wrapped up in big fluffy white towels, finally clean of all the blood and dripping wet hair they fell into Myka's bed and instantly drew close to cuddle and exchange lazy kisses.

"So.." The werewolf asked pulling away slightly. "You wanted to tell me something about stereotypes and coffins?"

Helena's fingers found themselves in Myka's curls before she proceeded to answer "Right. Well, we don't sleep in them, but it's somehow an integral part of us. After we transform into a vampire we usually wake up in our coffins, because we were buried in them." She paused, waiting to know if Myka was following her. "And we treat it like an old heirloom, carrying it with us where ever we are travelling. Some vampires like sleeping in it. Some don't. Some vampires sleep from time to time in it." She paused again, waiting for the right words. "It feels like home."

"And you...?" Myka turned on her side completely to watch Helena's face better.

"You, my dear, are very curious about vampires. Especially for a werewolf that despises them." Helene lifted her head slightly to cover the younger woman's lips with her own.

"I don't despise vampires!" Myka said indignantly at once.

"Ms. Donovan told me something very different" Helena teased back.

"Claudia...?"

"Oh Artie, a vampire on our team? That means in the field, Artie", Helena voice rose in a near perfect imitation of Myka's voice. "It's not about racism. I'm only thinking practically"

"Shut up!" Myka said hitting her lightly on her shoulder.

"Oh darling! I'm completely aware that you judged us by things you were told and from whatever little experience you've had with us." She kissed Myka again to let her know she was perfectly okay with what had been said in the past. "I know that werewolves feel insecure in the presence of us. I know the dispute between vampires and werewolves has been going on for several millennia now. But I believe you're open to being told something different" She rolled on to her stomach and lowered her head to look into Myka's eyes. "To experience a vampire in your own way."

Myka watched the subtle layers of variant browns in Helena's irises and lost herself in thoughts that had been plaguing her now for days. This was a new situation. There had never been any reports about a vampire and a werewolf being together. It was somehow an unwritten law to hate each other. Not the kind of law whose disobedience was investigated by Myka's team, but the vampire and the werewolf societies were perfectly capable of outlawing their members on it. She hadn't heard anything about that either, but she assumed it would be outlawing since that was the punishment meted out to worst kinds of deviant behaviour. Myka wouldn't readily admit, even to herself, that she cared about being part of the werewolf society, given her troubled history with them. But she was aware of what they were capable of.

She drew a long breath and lowered her eyes away from Helena's penetrating gaze.

Helena rose lightly to move closer and put an arm around the conflicted werewolf.

"Sssshhh." She cooed softly. "Don't be afraid. Don't think too much about it now. Come here. Let's sleep a little."

Myka turned her head and buried her nose in Helena's neck and inhaled her scent. Curiously, she felt secure in this position right here, right now…laying wrapped up in Helena's arms, inhaling her unique scent and having her whisper soothing words in her ears. It felt…it felt like she could get used to it. Sighing she wrapped her free arm tighter around the vampire's torso and allowed herself to fall asleep. Helena watched the emotions flitting unrestricted across Myka's face as she too drifted into a light sleep.

But almost too soon, the sun set outside the window and the shadows rose up and Helena awoke with them. Leaving a sleeping Myka in bed, Helena disappeared amongst them.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Why Hell-O Carmilla!" Claudia swivelled around in her chair to greet Helena as she walked into the office on Monday evening.

"Good evening, Claudia" Helena sauntered towards her with a lazy smile on her face. "Have you seen Myka or her day reports?" she asked, coming to a stop next to the red-head's cluttered desk. "And the Countess Karnstein is well, I shall let her know you inquired"

Claudia's mouth fell open in a perfect O "Countess…You mean, HG, are you saying…"

Helena laughed brightly and brushed her hair aside with the back of her hand before crossing her arms across her chest and interrupting Claudia "Yes, Claudia all of that. Now tell me, have you seen Myka today?"

"Myka hasn't been in all day." The mare explained then threw a look over her shoulder towards the window. "The Moon" she stage-whispered and got back to her typing.

"I know that tonight is a full moon" Helena subtly rolled her eyes. "But she hasn't been in all day?"

"Nope. She's always gone the day before full moon to make her arrangements." Claudia answered, lifting her head up to look at the Vampire leaning against her desk. "Dude, is that a bite-mark on your shoulder?" Not only was she sitting at the perfect angle but the Brit's low-cut top wasn't hiding much either.

Helena looked at her own shoulder and smirked proudly. "Yeah, it's already healing."

"What? When did that happen?"

"Are you really surprised about a vampire with a bite-mark on her shoulder and do you really want to know how it came to be?" The vampire arched a perfect eyebrow. Claudia opened her mouth once, twice, then thinking the better of it, shut up and shrugged her shoulders. "That smirk on your face tells me I'd be better off not knowing". That earned her a subtle nod from Helena.

"So yeah, Myka, well she drives out to her hunting territory the day before full moon. She is always pretty careful about her presence in other werewolf territories." At the deepening expression of confusion on Helena's face, Claudia continued to explain. "You know untransformed werewolves are allowed in each other's territories and only when invited if transformed. But that doesn't extend to hunting permissions. So Myka always makes sure she is outside the town long before she transforms. You know her: control freak and all that".

Helena simply frowned "I thought her territory was here."

"What? No." Claudia laughed. "She is allowed to settle here but she doesn't hunt here."

"Do you know where she's hunting?" the vampire asked, straightening up slightly.

"Why? Are you interested in visiting her? Dude, you don't want to meet her as a wolf. She is really…" Claudia held up her hands to trace out an imaginary mass and stuttered before settling for "terrifying." The girl shook her head. "I mean she is lovely. But the whole big bad wolf thing creeps me out. And I know a lot about creep."

"You find her scary as a wolf?" The vampire stepped closer.

"No, I find the thought of our nice, well-mannered, kick- ass Myka becomes a drooling, hairy, extremely strong and unpredictable beast that can't differentiate between friend and foe- pretty damn scary!"

"You mean she doesn't recognise her friends when she's transformed?"

"Exactly" Claudia scrunched up her face before returning to her keyboard.

Helena frowned "That does sound terrifying"

"It is." Claudia sang in agreement. "If you want the day's reports, go ask Jinks. He takes care for them when Myka is off duty."

"Yeah, I will" Helena said, slightly distracted and her face showing signs that her mind was already elsewhere at work. "Claudia, you didn't answer my question. Do you know where she is hunting?"  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

H.G. Wells had always been a curious woman.

She thought it was her greatest attribute and her deepest flaw. Back in the Victorian age, her curiosity led her to conduct experiments and write books that made her brother Charles famous. But it also brought immeasurable pain and devastating deaths into her life. It was the reason she was a Vampire now. And well, being a vampire, was right now proving to be both a boon and a curse. It not only lead her to travel centuries and meet the beautiful Myka Bering but it also complicated her relationship with one headstrong werewolf. And now she couldn't help but be curious about this woman with a warm gaze and veins throbbing with life who held her cold and fragile heart.

So it was only old habit that pushed Helena forward into the uninviting woods on the outer edge of the town in search of one possibly volatile werewolf. Helena wanted to see that part of Myka which the young woman usually tried to hide. Her curiosity clearly outweighing all her rationally thought out reasons indicating impending danger.

But the moment she tripped over an errant twig and lost her footing, hitting the moss covered forest floor, she realised she might have made a mistake in coming out there that night.

The vampire sighed, lifted herself up and turned around searching for the direction she had come from when she heard a loud growling noise from somewhere right behind her. Her nostrils flared as they picked up a sharp, feral scent and for the first time in a long time, Helena felt fear tingle up her spine.

Cautiously Helena turned around and across from her, in the clearing some 10 feet away, she could clearly make out a pair of blue orbs staring right at her, even as the rest of its body was merged in the shadows. Helena took one tiny step backward and waited.

She stiffened as the beast moved out of the shadows, its neck pressed forward and low, and the mouth pulled back over its pearl white teeth- all of them currently bared out- and all of them for Helena.

It was a white werewolf, but Helena was sure it wasn't Myka. She had seen Myka's eyes glowing green, not blue. It was stalking towards her now at an even pace, its muscles flexed, and Helena could see the drool lathering up in its mouth as it growled before leaping at her. Helena wasn't completely prepared but she managed to swap into the shadows and appear a few metres behind the werewolf. But the werewolf was quick and nimble despite its enormous size, and it used the lean muscles of his hind legs to push itself off the ground quickly and turn to face her again. Helena adjusted herself into a fighting stance and was prepared for him the next time the thing bounded towards her but she still fell back from the sheer force of the beast. Swiped off her feet, she landed on her back, the forest surface cutting into her back and making her grunt out in pain. She only briefly closed her eyes to regain composure and then opened them again to search for her attacker.

A werewolf attacking a vampire! She couldn't believe it. It was an open violation of the Truce the two communities had agreed upon. Then Helena remembered what Claudia had said about Myka not recognising anybody in her wolf form. This wasn't a thinking person, this was just the beast like she saw it. And its next strike would be lethal, she was sure. So she lifted herself up and took a big distance in the shadows in the direction she had come from. But as soon as her feet hit solid ground she realised she had travelled right into her opponent. The werewolf growled and snapped at her as she danced around it to recover her footing. But before the wolf could pounce at her, Helena caught a movement from the side of her eye as an object came flying and collided with the werewolf and they landed far away from her.

Helena lay immobile, surprised by what she was witnessing. Two full-grown werewolves were going neck and neck at each other. This wasn't anything like the secret club in the canalisation. This wasn't simply a display of pleasurable aggression. The white werewolf had attack her and the grey-brown one, it seemed to Helena was attacking it in retaliation. The darker werewolf was smaller in size, but it was no less of a match for Helena's attacker. It was incessant with its attack and in a few deft moves it had the larger beast pressed against a tree and carefully avoiding the swipe of a violent paw, it bit the white wolf at the juncture of its neck and shoulder muscles. That seemed to slacken the white wolf's attack and it fell limply against the tree as the darker wolf stepped back a few paces. The white wolf steadied itself on its feet and let out a low growl which was cut off immediately by the stronger growling from the smaller beast. Helena stood there, pressed against a tree, taking in the scene before her in wondrous confusion. But the moment the grey-brown wolf turned its head lightly towards Helena and focused its green eyes on her, the confusion disappeared from Helena's mind.

The white werewolf looked from its opponent to the vampire and back; then it huffed, shook its whole body, growled a last time aggressively into Helena's direction and then stalked away on all fours.

The grey-brown wolf watched as the white one disappeared into the forest darkness before turning towards Helena. It hoisted itself on two legs and held up its arms for attack, growling as Helena tried to step towards it.

"Myka, is that you?" She asked, cautiously holding her hand out in front of her.

The werewolf snapped at her and Helena backed away. Only then did it lower itself to the ground, but still it's attacking stance was unmistakable.

"Don't you recognise me, Myka? It's Helena. Myka, it's me." Helena attempted to take two more steps into her direction when the werewolf bared her teeth and snarled.

Helena stopped and sighed before stepping back resolutely.

"I will go." She said. "I will go home. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come. I'm so so sorry, Myka."

Helena watched the green eyes that had looked so lovingly down at her not 24 hours back and tried hard to find her Myka in them. She waited, she searched…only to find herself looking back into the eyes of an angry beast.

The werewolf let out a snarl and turned away, but right before it disappeared into the shadows it threw Helena a look over its shoulder. And in that fleeting second before the beast disappeared into the shadows, Helena discerned something familiar.


	9. Chapter 9

“I told you not to visit her!” Claudia snapped the stapler down hard on the sheets to emphasis her words.  
“Technically speaking, you said I didn’t want to meet Myka in her wolf form.” Helena retorted. “But Claudia, that’s not the point! The point is” she stepped directly in front of the red-head, seizing her by the shoulders. “I was attacked by a werewolf. A werewolf attacked a vampire. In the middle of the night. Openly!”  
Claudia huffed before shaking herself free. “I am aware of the war between your kinds, and the fragile nature of the truce, but dude, you did enter a werewolf territory. What the frak were you expecting anyway?”  
“I’m always in some werewolf territory. They’re everywhere!” Helena dramatically held up her hands in exasperation. “But shouldn’t there be some law against werewolves violating each other’s territories? There was this other big bad wolf in Myka’s territory that definitely did not like me.”  
Claudia sank into her chair with a sigh. “Do I look like a werewolf expert to you?” Taking a look at Helena’s clouded countenance, she continued “Look, I don’t know much really. But I’m pretty sure there are exceptions. Mates for one, are allowed in each other’s territories. Like Sam! Sam would be allowed to hunt in Myka’s territory..it’s some sorta complex bond thingy or something on those lines.”   
“Mates?” Helena’s utter shock was visible on her face. “You mean Myka is…Myka and Sam…you cannot be serious! Mates??” Helena stood with her hands on her hips, her mind running a mile a minute. Myka was bound to someone else?  
Claudia began in an anxious voice “Look H.G I really really think you should wait for Myka and ask her about it you know? I mean…I could be wrong, I mean I rarely am, but I could be. I mean that’s a …” she shut up when she saw the incredulous expression on Helena’s face. “What I mean is, you could talk to Leena about your feelings, or to Pete to know more about Myka’s history. But that won’t help your case dude. You gotta talk it out with Myka. Oh, what is it they say..umm Oh yeah…Communication is the key to a healthy relationship or some crap..”  
“Claudia” Helena cut off her rambling. She walked over to Claudia’s desk thus forcing Claudia to lean back in her chair and look up at the imposing figure cut by the slight built of the 150 year old vampire. “If Sam attacked me, it probably has something to do with the case”  
“Or he’s jealous because you’re sleeping with his mate” Claudia replied evenly.  
Helena glowered at her. The Mare let out a slight squeak before putting up her hands in defence. “H.G, you’ve got to let me out of this…I have enough nightmares from the last time I imagined you two together.”  
Helena sighed and relaxed her stance. “Alright. But you have to do me one last favour.”  
“Is it gonna be something I’ll regret?” asked Claudia instinctively. However one look at Helena’s gleaming eyes confirmed her suspicions. “Oh boy!” she swivelled around in her chair and activated her screen.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Sam Martino left his office the day after the full moon, with a charming smile on his face. He had closed two major deals that day and he was looking forward to a few drinks with his friends before heading down to the sewerage and perhaps getting in a few bouts himself. There was a definite pep in his step as he walked towards where his car was parked. Having fished out the phone from his pocket, he was scrolling down the latest messages when he was thrown backwards by a punch to his face.  
He let out a yelp, more at the sight of a black ghost standing over him. “What the fucking..?” He never got around completing his sentence as another well aimed blow caught the left side of his jaw. Sam’s reflexes took over as he angled his body away from the strange figure and stood up, spitting out blood. It was then that he caught the scent- Myka’s scent! Faint, but it was definitely her scent. He narrowed his eyes- the vampire! So this is how she got around during the day?The bitch!  
“Are you out of your mind?” he growled, straightening himself. “A vampire attacking a werewolf in broad daylight? How is that prudent Miss…” he couldn’t remember her name. It was definitely a fancy sounding name, but he was way too distracted last time when she had come with Myka to really pay attention to it.  
“We could do away with the forced civilities don’t you think? Especially after what happened at the woods?” Helena spat out the words. A group of people exiting the parking lot interrupted her rant and Sam seethed in the knowledge that he was being humiliated so publically. He was clearly aware of the lines he had trespassed by attacking the vampire in the woods, but he had smelt Myka on her then, and the implications had driven his wolf self quite mad.   
He advanced menacingly towards her and the Brit was prepared to teach him a lesson. But both were stopped by a female voice calling out “Helena”. The two turned to watch Myka stride towards them.  
“Hello bunny” Sam gritted his teeth but kept his distance from the vampire.  
Helena though was quick to turn towards Myka and begin her complaint. “Myka, he attacked me in the forest! I think it has to do with the case.” She turned accusingly to look at Sam. “He violated the sacred terms of the truce. I think he was scared of how close we are to proving…”  
“Proving what?” Sam growled out. “I killed no one! Bunny, you know I take care of my people and follow the rules in my territory, I maintain the peace. I don’t have to kill you…”  
“Oh but your actions speak otherwise!” Helena stepped towards him. “Last night you…”  
“ENOUGH!” Myka shouted as she stepped between the two, shielding Helena with her body and placing one hand on Sam’s chiselled biceps and making him retreat two steps. “Shut up you two.” When Helena tried to speak up she glared at her and the vampire bit her lips but kept her silence. She then turned her attention to Sam.“What were you even doing in my territory last night?”   
“I wanted to be with you” Sam confessed immediately. “You showed up the other day, and I was worried about how you were doing and I…Myka, do you realize how long it has been since we were together? Don’t you remember how good we were together?” he began taking a step towards her but Myka held up her hand to stop him. “Sam, I can’t..we”  
Sam chuckled mirthlessly. “So now I’m not enough. Why? Because you’re screwing some vampire?” Myka had to hold back Helena as she almost pounced on him. “What? You thought I wouldn’t know? I smelt you on her in the woods. I don’t understand how you could be sleeping with her Myka? A vampire! You let that thing touch you, that disgusting piece of…”  
“You racist arsehole with your bloody old-fashioned ideas…” Helena’s outburst caused a passing car to slow down and a woman to peer curiously at the three figures standing in the middle of an aisle shouting at each other.  
Sam held his ground. “I didn’t commit any murder. I really hope you catch the piece of scum that’s hunting my prey. But I would appreciate if you don’t show up in my territory with this bitch ever again.”  
Myka bristled at the insult aimed at Helena, but she let go of Helena’s shoulder and turned to face Sam fully. “Sam I’m so sor..”  
“Save your apologies Myka” Sam cut her off. “I’ve been nothing but nice to you, I’ve done nothing but loved you and took care of you and this is how you choose to repay me. That’s all there is to this.” He picked up the phone that had fallen out of his hand, and walked away to his car. Myka spent a moment staring at his retreating form, before turning on her heels and walking towards the exit.  
“Myka wait!” the vampire yelled for her. She turned swiftly and the black clad figure skidded to a stop in front of her. “No. Seriously, Helena. No. We won't talk. You will go home and take a long nap in your coffin or something. And tonight at work we will behave like what we are: colleagues. Simple! Whatever happened between us…” she indicated to the space between them like there was something tangible lying there. “it’s… it’s over now. It’s the end of whatever that was”  
Helena couldn't believe what she just heard. "What are you implying...?"  
"I mean exactly what I said Helena, and you heard me. There is nothing between us. Go home." With those words, Myka turned her back on the stunned vampire and walked out into the late afternoon sun.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
"So let me get this straight." Pete said looking at the black body bag in front of them. Myka and Pete were in the city morgue investigating their case. Last evening another body had been found with an open torso and missing intestines. Jinks and H.G. were at the crime scene while Pete and Myka had sneaked into the morgue to analyse the body of their earlier victims on a hunch that Claudia had had. Myka peeped into the bag and pronounced “not our victim” and zipped it back again, shoving the body back into the fridge. She had already moved onto the next body when Pete let out “You’re screwing the hottest chick in office and you didn’t tell me? ME? Your best friend! I’m hurt Mykes!”  
Myka rolled her eyes and continued her survey of the body bags.  
“And this chick also happens to be a vampire. Vampires who happen to be arch enemies of werewolves and screwing whom is probably breaking a dozen laws of the Truce.” The Nephilim continued, crossing his arms over his chest. He saw Myka surreptitiously shake her head before continuing “Then this chick runs into your ex who tries to kill her and a day later she beats the crap out of him and you break up with her! Am I correct or am I correct?”  
Myka turned to look at him. “Pete I will explain this to you once. ONCE. And then we will never talk about this again. Do you understand?” she waited for Pete to nod his head.  
“I’m not screwing Helena.” She began calmly.  
“Bu-“ Pete was cut off by Myka’s raised eyebrow. “We did sleep with each other once.”  
“And when you say sleep, you mean sleep like…” Pete held up both his palms before his face and then slowly touched one to the other. “Sleep were you do things to each other?”  
Myka let out an irritated sigh. “Yes Pete we had sex! We had sex one time. It was after that night at the dance club. It was a mistake. And it’s not happening again. We did not “break up” because we were never a couple in the first place. Is that understood?”  
“But Mykes-“ Pete wasn’t allowed to complete whatever he was saying by Claudia’s voice that cracked over their comms. “Ahem!” she deliberately cleared her throat. “Next time guys, give me a heads up before you break into the broadcast of who slept with whom and how. There are some things that I definitely prefer not knowing.”  
Myka mumbled her apology even as Pete tried to pursue his earlier point. “That’s it Pete. We’re done discussing my private lives” Myka shot a glare at him for good measure before identifying their victim and relaying the information to Claudia “Found our guy, Claud”  
“Good, now tell me what you see around his wounds?” Claudia slipped into her professional mode.  
“Uhh the bitemarks and the claw-like marks that we identified last time…”Myka’s voice trailed as she focused on trying to identifying some distinguishing mark on the victim’s body.  
“Helena just sent me a pic of the victim. Check the wounds on the guy’s neck. Is there any sort of colouring?” Claudia asked, even as Myka heard her typing away furiously on her computer. Myka did as she was asked even as Pete stood behind her complaining about people’s fascination with necks. Myka gasped lightly at what she discovered. There was definite greying of flesh around the wound which had not been present the last time.  
“Woah” Pete announced as he came up behind her and clicked a photo of the new marks. “That’s an interesting development. How does that fit in?”  
Myka shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t know yet. But it had to have occurred between 24 hours to 3 days after his death. That’s a considerably huge window of time. Does look like some sort of injection though” she bent to get a closer look.  
“Decaying flesh?” Pete asked as he sent the file to Claudia. Myka hummed a response. “Perhaps a reaction to whatever serum was injected?” Pete thought about it. “But how would dead cells still be reacting to it?” Myka had no clear answers. Claudia asked them to get a tissue sample and Myka carefully slipped on a glove before extracting one.  
“I hope the humans haven’t seen this one yet” piped Pete from behind her as she zipped the evidence and handed it over to him. “That’s it then?” he asked, slipping it into his jacket pocket and Myka looked at the body one last time before zipping it back up and pushing the freezer close. “That’s it” she said and smiled at him.  
No sooner had the words been uttered than a blonde M.E walked into the room and stopped short at the sight of the two of them.  
“What the hell are you doing in my morgue?” she asked, already reaching towards the telephone hanging on the wall by the door.  
Pete quickly stepped upto her and held out his badge. “Doctor…Alexander!” he said reading the name on her lapel. “I’m Agent Pete Lattimer and this is my partner Myka Bering. Secret Service. We’ve met before at the crime scenes.” He flashed her a winning smile. But the petite doctor would not be easily fooled. She narrowed her eyes and asked “That still doesn’t explain how you got in here.”  
Myka sighed. Claudia had deactivated the security systems and helped them sneak in. She briefly met Pete’s eyes and subtly nodded. They had only one plan of action now.  
“I was really hoping I didn’t have to do this Ma’am” began Pete and Myka uttered a “very sorry” and before the confused M.E could tell what was happening, Pete had hit her at a point below her neck and rendered her unconscious. He gently carried her over to the examination table and laid her on it.  
As the two quickly stepped out of the room, Pete groaned out “I have a feeling Detective Harmon is going to be less than pleasant the next time we meet her”.


	10. Chapter 10

Myka had never witnessed the war between her kind and the vampires. Sure she had heard about it, oh she had heard plenty about it while growing up. But whatever she knew about the war was from the stories her parents had told. Post-war, Myka's father had settled down away from the Demonic society in a little faraway town, opened a bookstore, and passed onto his daughter his experiences of a hard fought war. At first, they were stories of how her parents had met during the war and known that they were meant to be together for life. Myka had loved those stories. As she grew though, she learnt the stories of their struggle during the war eras, of the deaths of so many of their friends and family members, of the constant fear of being out in the streets one night and never making it back home.

No one knew exactly how the war had started. Each blamed the other; but over time, it didn't matter anymore. Each side had a ledger dripping with innocent blood and the tensions rose so high, that they almost stood to betray their identities to the humans. That is when the rest of the Demonic world had come together and forced the two groups to a Truce. Peace had been restored, but it had always been, and still was, an uneasy peace.

Myka had believed all her life that the Vampires were evil. How couldn't they be? She remembers the young boyish faces of uncles who had been slaughtered by them. If she concentrates hard enough, she can hear her gentle mother's tone hardening with hatred as she speaks of vampires. And yet when she thinks back to a few nights ago- of the gently whispered words of love, of the softly pressed kisses to her forehead as she drifted off to sleep, of the warm embrace of a woman who had wormed her way into her heart- she finds herself questioning the verity of the statement. Are Vampires Evil after all?

Sure Helena had hurt her by sneaking up on her in the woods during the night of her transformation. Myka kept her werewolf side under wraps, she wasn't ashamed of it, but it was something very personal to her. Since her first transformation, she had always been very selective of the people who could see her when transformed. Sometimes, when chasing down suspects it was necessary to transform and Pete who had been her partner for a long time, was one of the few people she trusted in her wolf form. But for the major part, Myka trusted no one. And most importantly, didn't trust herself.

But she couldn't deny that seeing Helena in the woods that day had stirred something else within her. There was no way she would forgive Helena's…betrayal?...anytime soon. But this new distance between them- the way Helena was stoically staying away from her, not talking to her since Myka had broken up with her, seemed much like a punishment to her.

Broken up? Myka shook her head. That made it sound like they had been a couple.

With another surreptitious glance towards the vampire, Myka averted her eyes back to the forensic results on her computer screen. She had been staring at them for the past two hours, hoping something would pop out and push them along the right track. The latest developments had left everyone baffled and they were no more close to catching the culprit than they had been a week back. Myka rubbed her weary eyes and rolled her shoulders to ease them. As she tilted her head though, she caught a whiff of the one scent that she had been trying to avoid all day.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Helena place a mug of coffee on the edge of her table before turning and walking away.

"What are you doing?" Myka blurted out before she could stop herself. The words though came out sounding harsher than she intended. It did however stop Helena in her tracks and she turned to look at Myka. "Being a good colleague and bringing you coffee darling" she supplied, a forced levity in her voice and a smile that never made up to her eyes.

The "darling" caused Myka to briefly shut her eyes. She willed herself to hold it all together. Helena continued, "You've been staring at those tests results for hours and I don't think staring any longer at them will change them. But I thought maybe the coffee will help, I remember Claudia telling me they stimulated your brain cells or something. Ah, what was the word she used, umm Coffee Warrior of the Undead Night. I have no…" Myka smiled almost involuntarily at the confused expression on Helena's face, causing Helena to pause and look away sheepishly.

"Thank you" Myka whispered softly, and holding Helena's gaze for a few moments before turning her head to survey the empty office. "What time is it?" she asked a little surprised. Not even Claudia's constant typing could be heard. The Mare was probably out hunting.

"Close to 3 a.m" Helena said looking at her pocket watch. "Agents Lattimer and Jinks left around midnight, they had had a long tiring field day. Maybe you should get some sleep too, a tired mind is not gonna help you discern results. But…" Helena paused briefly to draw a breath, "…you know about that. You don't need me to tell you or remind you. It's no longer my place". Her lips drew into a thin line, before she turned on her heels.

"Helena" Myka's beseeching voice stopped the Brit in her tracks and she turned around with a hopeful face that nearly broke Myka's resolve.

"Helena…I. I can't…understand." Myka looked up from her seated position, her hands resting on her knees, her shoulders slumped. "What is this between us?" Helena's eyes seemed to be egging her on. "Is it love? I'm so confused. I can no longer tell. My heart is telling me things that my head refuses to admit. I've never felt anything like it before."

"Not even for Sam?" was Helena's only question as she stood there with her head cocked to one side.

Sam. Of course, there were things that Helena knew nothing about. Myka sighed as she pulled Pete's chair with her leg towards her desk. "Please sit down", she added. Myka sipped her coffee and watched Helena over the rim of her mug, as the Vampire gracefully lowered herself into Pete's enormous chair and waited patiently for Myka to start talking. Myka noted how small Helena looked (and nervous for Helena was running her hand through her hair) and found an unnatural tug in her heart.

"You must have realized by now that I'm not particularly proud of my werewolf side," Myka began, deciding that she should start right from the beginning. Helena almost said something to that, but then held her tongue and only nodded. Myka sat back in her chair and took another sip of her coffee before continuing. "I don't hate my identity as a werewolf, not exactly. That's not the word I'd use. But I do strongly dislike the fact that I'm not in full control of my mental capacities in my wolf form. And that cause me to behave simply like an animal. I think like an animal."

"Did something happen?" Helena asked gently as Myka lapsed into silence.

"Yes" Myka admitted, her words getting caught in the back of her throat. "Yes" she repeated a second time, as her fingers curled tighter around the mug.

"You hurt someone" Helena surmised.

Myka nodded. "It was a girl. It was a long time ago" she looked up briefly to meet Helena's eyes before looking away into the dark office space again. "I was young. I had just turned for the first time and I hadn't been away from home for long. The girl was a werewolf too. And I think I met her in the woods…I can't remember. Leena says I'm suppressing my emotions and the details of the event. Anyway, during one of our meetings, we were playing- we wolves sometimes play. So well, we were playing and I was stronger than her. So then suddenly all I know is that she's just lying there on the forest floor, her body at an odd angle, her…her neck snapped." Myka finished with a quivering lip.

Helena leaned forward in her seat and almost reached out, before clasping back her hands on her knees. "Was this the girl Sam was talking about?"

"No that was about food. God, that sounds wrong. No, that was much later. I had hunted outside my territory and I didn't know what to do, so I had gone to Sam and Sam, like always, had taken care of it for me." Myka sighed and continued. "Killing another werewolf is a very serious offense. It was an accident, but I could have been ostracized from the community. I mean, I grew up separate from the werewolf community, and I've always been a kind of loner. And there was always this team here, which was pretty much the family I would ever need. But, the prospect of being rejected by your own kind can be very daunting."

"That's when you met Sam?" prompted Helena.

"Yes. That's when Sam stepped in and he took care of me. I don't know how he did it, but he is well respected by the werewolf community and they must have taken him on his word. Suddenly, not only was I not being ostracized, but being openly welcomed. And I think, somehow down the line, they came to see us as mates. And we were happy, I won't lie about that. But, it wasn't…it wasn't enough for me, and I felt stifled by Sam's controlling authoritative nature in some ways. It didn't work out between us, and Sam was understanding about it…or so I thought." A slight frown clouded Myka's face. "Anyway, the werewolf community though, still believes we are mates."

"So you're not bound to him?" Helena asked, her voice betraying her happiness but face held neutral.

"Well, werewolves mate for life" she shrugged. "But Sam and I are not together except for the benefit of the werewolf community. If they knew I wasn't bound to him, there's no telling if they'll still let me stick around. And even though I may not like all of them, they are my people. I can't handle them outlawing me. Those few weeks were hell enough." Myka sat back in her chair with a weary sigh.

"And that's why you're afraid of how they'll react if they knew you were mating with a vampire?" Helena sat back too, her eyebrows furrowed in deep thought.

Mate? Myka almost choked on her coffee. She sat up straight, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Yes. But…I don't know Helena. Is mating the right word here? Is that what we're doing?"

Helena looked at her then, her earnestness shining forth in her eyes. She shuffled forward in her seat and leaned in towards Myka. "At first," she smiled softly and locked her gaze with Myka's. "I think it was just mutual intrigue. Our kinds have never been in such close proximity to one another, not before the war, not after. And you're a beautiful creature Myka" Myka smiled shyly at that and tried to look away, but Helena lifted her hands and turned her face back to herself. "No, it's the truth. Believe me. I've never met anyone who's as beautiful as you, inside and out. And I think…I think the more I got to know you, the more you got to know me, we…we saw each other under new lights and we…fell in love." Helena bit her lip and looked down, her hands coming back to her lap. Myka dared not even breathe lest she break this fragile moment.

"I'm so sorry Myka, I infringed upon your territory like that. It didn't strike me that I was invading your private intimate space." Helena looked up apologetically. "I would do anything to set that right, if I just knew how"

"I don't show the wolf to people easily. And I would have let you seen it, eventually…over time, I just…I would have liked to have that decision." Myka admitted.

"You would have?" Helena asked, surprised.

"I'm sure I would have" Myka answered with a smile. Helena looked away with downcast eyes. "Guess I spoilt the plans huh?"

Myka leant forward and squeezed her clasped hands then. And all too soon, she was getting up and collecting her coat before Helena had time to process any of it. Myka chugged back the last of her drink before explaining "I think I'll head home, get some sleep."

Helena silently followed Myka's retreating figure, till she turned around at the doorway. "I do trust you Helena. But I think the mantra here is…" Myka smiled, "small steps."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
"So tell me dude, when did you become a vampire?" Claudia asked, lying across an armchair, her legs dangling from one side, laptop propped up in her lap and fingers typing away on the board even as she directed aimless questions at everyone. Apparently, now it was HG's turn. Myka cringed at the odd shape Claudia was slumped in, and she was sure Claudia would be grumpy the whole of next day, complaining how overworked she was and asking a day off to play yet another video game. So Myka just cast her a cursory glance before going back to reading her book.

They were all assembled in the office common room and killing time as they waited for Leena to emerge from her office. That morning Leena had begun writing down a detailed profile for their suspect and all of them- save for a few pee breaks and for Pete a handful of snack breaks- had stuck around in the office. Leena had been holed up in her office for the major part of the day, and as the night fell, had switched on the solar lamps in her office to continue working without any breaks.

H.G looked up from whatever she was writing and looked at Claudia for a second before answering. "In 1899"

Claudia shut the lid on her laptop and turned to look at Helena. "So you were 33 years old?"

"Correct" Helena said, a little unsure where the questions were headed.

"And how did this happen?" Claudia pushed on.

H.G scratched out something in her notebook before answer nonchalantly, "I was bitten Claudia".

Claudia rolled her eyes as she sat up. "Of course you were bitten H.G, but I meant how? If my readings on vampires are correct then vampire (with a capital V) bites a human (with a small h)…" she paused as Myka and Steve laughed, but then Myka just shook her head and got back to reading while Steve excused himself to get another cup of coffee. Myka muttered a "whatever" to Steve's "dork" before continuing with her speech. "so anyway, this bitten human, now a small v vampire, is buried. And then they need to be called out of their graves by capital V Vampire right? That's how the transformation is complete. And then small V vampire has their first feed" Claudia clapped her hands as she finished and looked hopefully at Helena.

Helena frowned. "I was bitten. I was buried. Then the vampire who bit me called me, I arose, and I had become a vampire."

Claudia obviously missed Helena's curt tone because she bludgeoned on, "yeah, but what were the circumstances. Who…" However, Helena's discomfort was not missed by Myka and if Helena's roughly dotted I was any indication, she might have a less than kind answer for Claudia if Claudia kept up with her inquisition. "Claudia" she called out, and Claudia's head snapped towards her. She was sure she sounded like a mother issuing a warning, and she hated sounding like that, but oh well… "Let it go". Claudia's face fell, but she accepted that and just turned to Pete (who was struggling to complete his paperwork, no surprise at that) to ask him to pass a can of coke to her.

Coke and chips in hand, Claudia's boredom won over and she asked out again. "What about the other vampire stuff?"

"Stuff?" Helena asked putting her pencil down and marking her page before shutting her notebook.

"Yeah, stuff like garlic, and no mirror reflection" Claudia stuffed her mouth with more chips.

"Both true" Myka answered from her end of the couch. Helena chuckled. Claudia looked from the werewolf to the vampire and then back again before taking a long sip of her drink. "Don't want to know how you know that, but moving on." Helena smirked and leaned back in her chair.

"Wildflowers?"

"Absolutely true"

"Like you can't leave your coffin if someone places a wildflower on it? Seriously?" Claudia asked leaning forward with interest.

"Yes. Claudia please chew your food. You are worse than Peter." Pete's protests were drowned as Helena ignored him and continued. "Yes that myth is very true. In fact, one time, a friend of mine placed a wildflower on my coffin. It was soon after I had turned, and it was some sort of an initiation process if you would like to call it that. And my friend left it on the coffin was gone for an entire week. I was claustrophobic and I panicked and I've always been vary of sleeping in my coffin since."

"So you guys do sleep in a coffin?" Claudia's question just led to Helena laughing and meeting Myka's eyes before nodding her head.

"Salt?" was next on Claudia's list.

"Most rumours related to cooking ingredients are false" Helena answered patiently.

"But the garlic…" Claudia looked towards Myka who simply smirked at her. "It is a potent thing" was all Myka supplied her with.

"Can you at least turn into a bat?" asked Claudia trying not to jump in her seat. Helena laughed. "Claudia I'm able to utilize the shadows just as much as you and other nightwalkers, but the bat is just an exaggeration."

"And do you sparkle in the sunlight?" Claudia's question baffled Helena, but before she could answer Myka burst out laughing. "Claud, please tell me you haven't been reading those highly inaccurate, and if I may add poorly written, piece of literature. She's a vampire, the sunlight burns her skin." Apparently that answer bored Claudia and she opened her laptop again.

"Well whatever that was about" Helena spoke after a heartbeat of silence. "I would like to know about the way you hunt Claudia. I've never had the opportunity to closely interact with a mare before. Do you really sit on your prey's chest while you feed?"

"Ah yes" the redhead began explaining excitedly. "the sitting on the chest part is integral. You see, it causes slight asphyxiation, and the rising panic causes bad dreams to intensify. The humans try to explain it away as 'sleeping paralysis'. And when they sometimes wake up midway while we're still feeding, we are reduced to mere hallucinated figures."

"Interesting" observed Helena as she carefully took in all the information. Myka loved watching Helena this way, her face unguarded, eyes lit up with the new information she had gleaned and a carefree smile on her face. It was Pete's laugh that forced her out of reverie and helped her look away before Helena caught her staring at her (yet again.)

"It's funny how the humans always try to explain us away." He walked over to the couch and dropped at the opposite end, almost jerking Myka off of it.

"That's because they think Nephilims are just children of angels when in fact you're just a brutish bone eating man child!" Myka kicked his sides lightly as she settled back properly in the couch.

"Artie though," Claudia chirped from her post even as Beethoven's sonata wafted from Artie's office, "I mean they think Beelzebub's just another form of Satan. And I think in a way yes, I mean they do feed off fear, but it really astounds me how that works."

"It's the eyebrows!" Pete commented to a peal of laughter form the ladies.

"And Leena?" Helena asked she recovered. "I hardly get to meet her, she's usually gone by the time I get here."

"She's the scariest of us all!" Claudia proclaimed instantly. "I mean she's a fraking tree!"

"Claudia" Myka chided her as she closed her book. Now was as good a time as any to stop pretending to read. When Pete and Claudia broke into childish jokes about it, Myka craned her neck towards Helena to explain. "She's a nature demon. She feeds on flesh like me, but Landwaettir's secrete some kind of a juice to digest the flesh and then eat it."

"Which is totally eww" Pete filled in. "She can grow branches out of her arms and trap her prey, and man is it scary to watch" Pete held up his hands on either side and tried to imitate her.

Claudia laughed and added. "Seriously, it's pretty creepy. I know she looks all warm and cuddly and it's easy to forget how she eats, but dude you see her once, and you'll have a hard time looking at all those green plants in her office again without being slightly unsettled by them."

Barely had Claudia finished her sentence than Leena's office door flew open, and the psychoanalyst walked out. "I'm ready with a profile. Meeting in the conference room in five. Tell Artie and get plenty of solar lamps with you."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this point on we have a new beta reader: Kassebutt. Thank you very much.

The pin boards in the meeting room had been filled with pictures and papers, painstakingly arranged by their psychoanalyst who now regarded Pete with a strict expression. "Please let them be this time. No handicrafts, Pete."

The Nephil nodded, looking rather wretched. "You got it."

After the team had taken place in the armchairs scattered around the room, they looked attentively at Leena, who was surrounded by her solar lamps and searching through her papers like she was trying to memorise everything she had written.

"Okay, let's start with what we have." She cleared her throat before continuing. "The police have already found three bodies. Thanks to Claudia and Artie we've received the examination report from their autopsy. All victims are human, their entrails are missing. Which means everything, even heart and lungs. There are bitemarks around the wounds on their chests."

Leena paused, giving the team a meaningful look. "Judging from Pete's pictures, your reports from the crime scene, and the reports written by the human medical examiner, we can conclude that the victims' chests were ripped open by their attacker's teeth."

Claudia interrupted Leena's summary with a loud disgusted noise, at this detail. Meeting Myka's unimpressed gaze, eyebrows raised, the mare bent over her laptop once more and went on typing, pointedly avoiding the werewolf's eyes.

The psychologist looked at her techy friend for a long moment, before continuing her speech. "Our first suspicion of werewolves was incorrect. It isn't just that the victims weren't killed during a full moon. We're all aware that could have meant nothing. We've had cases before of werewolves who hunt for fun."

Pete nodded thoughtfully, causing Myka to roll her eyes. That morning, the Nephil had given his partner a list of werewolves who were breaking the law by hunting during disallowed moon phases. Quickly, the werewolf snuck a glance at Helena, who was sitting by Claudia. The vampire didn't meet her eye, but looked attentively at Leena. HG and the nightmare both kept to the darker part of the room. Apparently, she was trying keep her distance from Leena's solar lamps. There was a darker shadow cast across Helena's face from the indirect light spilling through the room and for the first time in the evening, Myka had the feeling that the Brit didn't really look well. The werewolf's brows furrowed in confusion, until Helena's eyes finally met hers. The vampire had looked up and was now offering a shy smile.

Leena pointedly cleared her throat a second time, reminding Myka to force her gaze away from Helena and towards the psychoanalyst. "The human medical examiner has identified the bite marks as human in her report, but-."

"Human?" Pete interrupted Leena. "Human as in 'There is some human douchebag doing this'? Can I go home then?"

Myka grinned as she watched the psychologist putting a palm to her face. "If you would let Leena talk, Pete..."

"Thank you, Myka." Leena nodded quickly at her. "The fact that the bitemarks are human just shows that our suspect doesn't transform into something else to kill their prey. As we all know Myka's teeth are very human when she is not transformed into a werewolf."

"You are leaving human bitemarks on the bones of your prey too, Pete, because you don't transform when you eat." Myka explained, as understanding blossomed across her partner's face. "There is no such thing as a Nephil bite mark, especially not in the files of a human morgue."

"Okay, okay." Pete raised his hands defensively. "I admit that I heard 'human' and thought 'not our case, let's go home'. But now I see what's going on."

"So we have to say that the report on the teeth isn't giving us any information on the predator except for that it's probably a demon in human form - or who only has a human form." Claudia concluded, looking up from her laptop again.

"That means rather a lot of demon species on our list." Helena pursed her lips. Myka still asked herself if there was something going on with the vampire, but now clearly wasn't the best time or place to pursue that thought.

"That's why we have to search through our other hints and evidences." Leena agreed, nodding. "There is this injection mark on the neck of each victim. Our analyses have shown that there has been the injection of a liquid. At first, we thought it was venom but we couldn't quite figure out which kind of venom it is. It took me long time to put any sense into the test results." The psychoanalyst sighed deeply and thoughtfully. "I looked over the test results a hundred times and compared it to any demon species in our register which uses venom. Or any form of poison..." Leena made another pause to look at the team. For once, none interrupted, just stared back at her in anticipation. "It's not a poison, though, but digestive juice."

Claudia made another disgusted snort. This time, nobody reacted to her.

"Wait, wait." Myka found herself confused by Leena's verdict. "Why would you inject digestive juice into a victim's neck?"

"Well, to be precise," Leena shrugged, "the digestive juice was injected through the muscles into the gullet. The digestive juice went through it, into the stomach and dissolved the intestines. Our predator just had to suck it out."

Claudia was still having difficulty reigning in her revulsion to the biology of the murders. "It's getting better and better. This isn't what I signed up for. I signed up for the computers, not the creepy homicide talk."

Leena only rolled her eyes and then continued with her speech. "There are three kinds of demons that inject their prey digestive juice and only one of them leaves everything but the intestines."

The landwaettir walked over to an overhead projector to turn it on.

Myka nodded excitedly. "That's the behaviour of an Arach! A spider demon. Night Walker! But that doesn't make any sense… Leena, Arachs suck out their victim's intestines with the help of their spider claws, the same way they injected their digestive juice."

"I swear, if I hear those two words another time I will go into my computer lab and stay there for a whole week." Claudia grunted.

"They don't bite through their victim's chest with the help of their human teeth." Myka went on talking, ignoring the mare's rant.

Pete looked at the overhead projector where Leena just had placed a picture of an Arach. A demon in human form that had hidden pincers in its face.

The Nephil sighed deeply. "The whole Book of Origins is in your head, Mykes, isn't it?"

"For the last time, Pete, I have an eidetic memory!" The werewolf growled back, though she couldn't help the proud grin creeping across her features.

"So, yes. An Arach. That was what I concluded." Leena bowed her head. "But then I came to the same conclusion as Myka: An Arach that bites through the chest of its victim to eat the intestines doesn't make any sense. But there is a thing that supports our suspicions: The digestive juices we found are only similar to an Arach's dig-"

Claudia groaned.

"Only similar?" Helena asked sceptically.

"Exactly." The psychoanalyst pointed a finger at her. "It's not completely like that of an Arach. It's molecular structure is different. Only slightly but enough that our computer program couldn't find it in the files." Leena frowned at the picture of the demon that was projected at the wall.

"I have to rewrite the program." Claudia started typing again. "If it isn't able to search for similarities, it totally sucks! And this will maybe keep me from thinking too much about intestines in digestive juices."

"But there are still things that don't fit." Myka looked at the others, expecting them to have the same thoughts about differences between the suspect in the case and the actual description of an Arach she had read in the Book of Origins.

"Excuse me. But could somebody please explain those Arachs to me? Because I have no idea what they do." Pete shrugged helplessly.

"Yeah, a little update of my demon knowledge would be perfect." Steve agreed.

"Arachs are spider demons that feed from human intestines as Leena and Myka have already indicated… I assume you gentlemen gathered that from the discussion bothering Claudia so." Helena shot the mare a mischievous grin. The shadow in her face vanished for a brief moment, but then it came back, making the vampire look a little sick. Myka had no idea why. "They catch their prey alive and conscious, usually they trap them in their net." The vampire explained, shooting a glance at the werewolf. It seemed Helena had noticed Myka's unerring attention. The younger woman quickly looked down to the ground. "With the help of their chelicerae – the pincers or claws at the head, to you, Pete - they inject their digestive juices - pardon me, Claudia - into the victim, which liquefies the intestines, making consumption easier. Usually, Arachs have smaller alliances with other demons who feed on human flesh so as little as possible is wasted."

Helena paused until Myka looked up again. The vampire nodded thoughtfully at the other woman. "I think what Myka tried to express while saying 'things that don't fit' is that nobody has webbing at the crime scenes. That would be the first hint of an Arach. They always use their net. Furthermore, the victims have only one injection wound rather than the two we would expect. And finally, that the suspect has bitten a hole into their victims' chests to feed on them doesn't make any sense at all."

"Yes, that's what I was getting at." Myka nodded quickly, looking to Leena once more.

"Not to mention all Arachs in town are registered." Artie mentioned. He had been quietly listening for the whole meeting until now. "All their victims are authorised by the system."

"That's the puzzle we're trying to solve, isn't it?" Steve scrunched his nose. "Why would a demon hunt in secret and be this careless that even humans notice them if they could hunt with the support of demonic society?"

"Maybe they have to hide something." Claudia suggested, not looking up from her keyboard.

"That would fit with my analysis of their character." Leena said and started handing out files. "Everything I could figure out is in here." When she had finished handing out the files, the psychoanalyst took seat on the top of the desk in front of all the armchairs. "It seems that the predator hunts in the late evening hours. They try to do that in secret, which is normal demon behaviour. But the act of killing their victims seems rushed and unplanned. I would say the predator is nervous, hasn't got much experience in killing and they don't know the town. Judging from the places where the feedings have happened I conclude the demon is trying to get from one part of the town to another fast and they do that pretty often. Their erratic movement and the fact that they feed off humans in secret, would indicate they are hiding from something or someone."

Silently, Leena looked at everyone in the room, one after another. Myka pursed her lips. This was utterly confusing and complicated.

"So." Pete scratched his chin thoughtfully. "We have an Arach who is not an Arach and they are on the run from something or someone we don't know."

Myka nodded in agreement. "This won't be an easy case, Lattimer."

"Like there has ever been an easy case?" Her partner grinned back at her.

________________________________________

Myka found Helena in the office's kitchen. The vampire was making tea, still looking slightly ill. The werewolf was worried, especially now that she could see how HG's hands shook as she worked on the kitchen counter.

"Helena?" Myka asked carefully while entering the room.

The other woman looked at her over her own shoulder, smiling softly. "Yes, Myka?"

"Are you okay? You look a little sick and..." The curly-haired woman dropped her gaze to the ground. "Never mind."

"Are you worried about me?" HG turned around with her smile brightening. She took a sip of her tea, glancing at Myka over the rim of her cup with her eyes glistening. The werewolf cleared her throat and then walked over to the coffee machine. "A little." She admitted, hoping Helena would drop the topic.

"Well, let me assure you I'm fine." The vampire slowly sat down at the table next to the window. "I'm just struggling a little with my - how do people put it? My _roomie."_

Myka poured herself in a mug of coffee, frowning slightly. "You're living with somebody?"

"An old friend." Myka turned around and caught Helena's forced out smile. "He failed to wash the dishes last night as I told him. The kitchen has been a mess and I had to stay up all day to do it myself."

"Helena!" The werewolf sat down right in front of her. "What is going on?"

"I'm fine, Myka." The vampire looked out of the window thoughtfully. Quickly, Myka looked into the same direction, finding the waning moon.

"Are you sure?" Myka asked again, well aware of that the vampire was hiding something. She really didn't look that well. "Or don't you want to talk about it?" When Myka looked at the other woman again she found HG's lips pursed. "Vampire problems?"

"Yes, indeed. Vampire problems." The Brit didn't look at her. "Just like werewolf problems, only with less hair."

"What does that mean? Helena, please talk to me. I've told you so much about my past life and I don't really know anything about you." The werewolf looked into the black liquid in her mug, and then up to the black eyes of the vampire in front of her. "There appear to be so many rules to your kind."

The other woman looked for a long moment at Myka, apparently deep in thought. Then, she looked out of the window again, her hand reaching up to her cleavage where she clutched a locket. Myka's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"There are many rules about being a vampire, that's right." Helena whispered. "But I like to ignore most of them. It isn't such a tight social system like it is with you werewolves. But yes, there are rules. And some of them I can't break."

There was this brief silence, and Myka didn't dare to interrupt it. She felt glad when HG continued speaking by her own decision. "I miss the sun." The vampire stated absent-mindedly.

Myka blinked confusedly. "The sun?"

"The sunlight. If I had known I would never feel it on my skin again, I think I would have appreciated it more, back when I was able to do it." Helena took another sip of her tea. "But feeling the sunlight felt only natural and we barely appreciate things the way we should until they are gone."

"You're talking in riddles." The werewolf gave back. She struggled with putting sense into the vampire's words.

With a slight tilt of her head, Helena looked attentively at Myka, her eyes unreadable. "What do you want to know?"

"You used to be a human..." The curly-haired woman started and Helena nodded in agreement. "And you struggle talking about how you've been turned into a vampire."

"You think so?" Helena asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"I assumed it by the way you talked to Claudia." Myka explained carefully. "It sounded like you got turned against your will. You said you didn't know you would never see the sun again."

"I've seen the sun rather often since I was turned, Myka." Helena interjected. "I am able to walk in the sunlight with my protection suit on. It's only that I can't feel it on my skin anymore."

"You're avoiding the topic." Myka retorted quickly.

"You still didn't ask." Helena raised an eyebrow.

"Were you turned into a vampire against your will?" The werewolf asked after a short silence.

"No. I asked to be turned." HG answered her question slowly. "But that doesn't mean I like my state, as you assume."

"Pardon?" Myka's eyes widened at Helena's amused facial expression.

"I saw you watching me killing, Myka." The vampire shrugged. "You concluded I like doing the necessity that comes with my state of being."

"Don't you?" The werewolf struggled with understanding what Helena was trying to say. Myka clearly disliked the fact that she was forced to kill humans. But she didn't get Helena's point about this.

"It's a necessity, Myka. I have to kill humans to survive." The vampire's eyes got completely black for a brief moment like they had done it when the werewolf had watched her drinking blood from one of her victims. The Brit's hands started shaking again, making the tea cup in her hand rattle against the ring on her finger. "But that doesn't change the fact that I was once a human and now I kill them, Myka. But the act of killing is a necessity I can live with."

"But you asked to be turned." Myka found herself getting annoyed with the confusion that seemed to accompany each of her conversations that day.

"That doesn't mean that I was aware of all the terms and conditions that came with it." Helena looked out of the window again. The werewolf surveyed the Brit shrewdly for a few moments.

"You missing being human." She concluded.

"I miss a certain part about being human, indeed." Helena admitted.

"And what certain part might that be?" Myka asked bluntly, finding the vampire conflicted. The werewolf sighed. "Helena, I'm really interested in you. I have told you the things about my past because I wanted to make a step towards you. And now, I want to know something about your past. Is that too much to ask?"

"No, it is not. Go ahead and ask." Helena smiled, encouraging Myka to go deeper into the topic.

"What kind of human have you been?"

"One who writes." HG bowed her head. "You have already asked me about that once."

"So you are H.G. Wells." Myka concluded. "The author."

"Indeed." Helena looked out of the window again.

"What happened?" At Myka's question, the tea cup in the vampire's hands started rattling again.

"I became H.G. Wells, the vampire." The Brit offered. Myka narrowed her eyes at HG.

"Your... well, 'roomie'. Is he a vampire, too?"

"Yes, he is." HG nodded, turning her head again towards Myka.

"Is he doing something to you?" The werewolf's eyes widened. "Is he the one who turned you?"

The vampire looked at Myka with an utterly surprised facial expression. "No." She stated after a brief moment. "No, Myka. The vampire who turned me is dead." Helena looked at the cup in her hand. "For a very long time now."

"But what has happened?" Myka's tone bordered on pleading. "Tell me, please."

Suddenly, the kitchen's door opened. The werewolf, who had been utterly focussed on her companion, jumped at the sudden motion. Helena put down her tea cup forcefully, glaring at the newcomer. Artie paused in the door frame, looking at the tea cup on the table as if it was about to bite him. Both women stared at the older agent warily. His eyes darted to Myka and then to HG, where they lingered for a short while. His eyebrows darted up in a characteristically unreadable twitch.

"Myka." He looked at the werewolf, his tone the usual official lilt. "You're going with Pete. There has been another murder and you'll be going to the crime scene. Agent Wells," Their boss looked at the pale vampire. "You'll be in my office in five."


	12. Chapter 12

Artie glared over his glasses as Helena entered, his displeasure at having to deal with her now, on top of this damn case, was evident. He had been at this game long enough to know that a system was only as strong as its weakest part and currently, HG Wells was clearly that part. There she was standing: Pale, hands shivering, dark shadows around her eyes. He knew the symptoms, he knew what she was doing. What he didn't know was the reason why.

"Okay." The Beelzebub drew a deep, disgruntled sigh, opening a file to look busy while he was talking to the Vampire. Artie didn't like the thought of involving himself in his employee's personal affairs. It was part of his job, though, he could hardly help it. "How many days, Agent Wells?" He kept his tone business-as-usual, demanding. None of the concern that might have crept in for Claudia, or even Myka. He didn‘t want to be concerned, and honestly he doubted Wells would appreciate it. He didn't look up from his file. 

Helena's eyebrows furrowed immediately, but her pause finally brought Artie’s eyes up from his file, he could clearly see a genuine confusion. Whether she was confused about the meaning of his question or about how he had found out was more ambigious. 

"Pardon?" HG asked, her voice trembling a bit. _Clear signs,_ her boss groaned internally, _she must think I am an idiot._

"How many days have passed since you last fed?" He set down the file and looked his agent in the eye. He leant forward, interlocking his fingers in front of his mouth while frowning slightly. His body language clearly signalling: 'I know what's going on. Don't even try to fool me.'

"I-" Helena's mouth opened, but that pronoun was everything that made it out. If he hadn’t been sure before (he had been) he was now. This was the precise problem that made whatever was bothering the vampire his business. The loss of control. Vampires were always the masters of their state: their bodies, their hair, their emotions. The way they talked. Artie assumed that this must have been the actual reason why werewolves hated them. He wasn't sure, but it was pretty obvious that werewolves were never in control. Vampires were the polar opposite, always in a cool, collected state. But as soon as you took away the blood from them, they were nothing but hungry, stuttering and actually rather _normal_ (well, if compared to their usual state) looking people with self-control issues. 

"Agent Wells." Artie began, leaning back in his chair and regarding her with some exasperation. Two words he had managed to extract from her since she entered his office. He really did not have time for this. His gaze was set to convey his knowledge of her issues and annoyance at her idiotic attempts to cover it. Also, he was her _senior officer_ and he really didn‘t want to be having this damn conversation. The actual words that left his mouth were slightly different but no less blunt in tone, "Do you know that your work in our team is a serious and important one?"

"Yes." Helena gave back, rolling her eyes slightly. Artie could tell that she was trying to imagine either some really good excuse for being on blood deprivation, or some insults for him. Or both. Not that she would be successful in either. 

"So how on earth are you planning to do such serious and important work as the lacklustre creature you currently present?" The Beelzebub asked with a slight smile on his face. 

"I am-" HG opened her mouth again, apparently she had finally found some excuse. But Artie interrupted her immediately. He wasn't interested in excuses, he was interested in solving a problem before the high-ups got wind of it. And currently, his problem was a vampire on blood deprivation. Not Helena Wells' personal interests. Well... those could be part of his problem, but he could only deal with one uncomfortable topic at a time.

"Agent Wells, blood deprivation is a serious danger in the field. For colleagues and civilians. You're working with humans." Artie noticed that black flickering in the vampires eyes in reaction to his last word. He bit back an audible sigh, feeling it wouldn’t help the situation. "Believe it or not, I’ve been fighting to get you on my team, Miss Wells. I don't want to have to disappoint everyone I talked into allowing me to take you on because you're trying to starve yourself to death for whatever reason. Do you know how long it took me to get Mrs. Frederic's support for this?" He rose his voice so she could actually understand that this situation was a serious one and that she better wasn't fooling anyone. Least of all him. Mrs Frederic hadn’t been much for ‚going with Artie’s gut on this one‘... his reputation was on the line as much as hers. "So, Wells, I think I can demand a simple answer to that question of how many days you’ve gone without _food."_

"Five." Her shoulder slumped for just a moment before she drew herself up to full height (his height, had he been standing up). 

"I won't even ask why." His voice lowered and a little of that concern that he had been trying to avoid entered despite himself. "I just want you to solve the problem. But let me phrase it like this... _Are you out of your mind?"_ It wasn’t quite a shout but it might as well have been. The vampire’s senses were entirely out of whack and Artie could entirely understand why. Three days was hard for a vampire. Many of them fainted during their fourth day. But five? Artie couldn't help but be a little impressed. "You're off duty for the rest of the night. Go get yourself some blood."

Helena looked up at the ceiling, running a hand back through hair which didn’t fall back into place as impressively as it usually did. 

"Don't you think, Artie," She started, indignant and slightly frustrated. "Don't you think that if I was actually able to do that, I would?"

Now, the Beelzebub's eyebrows darted up and he felt a little insecure. "Well, it's not that hard, is it? All you have to do is the tee-"

"Artie." HG looked at him with her eyes glistening in anger. Her emotions were absolutely not in check and it was making him increasingly uneasy. Perhaps he should have had Mrs Frederic deal with this. Or Leena. Or anyone that wasn’t him. "I absolutely know how. My problem is the circumstances that come with it."

The older agent grunted, he leaned forwards in his chair. "Don't tell me you suddenly developed something like remorse."

The sigh he was rewarded with by Helena impressed him again. 

"So, it's not you... it's- Oh!" Artie looked up at HG. "Is something wrong with your coven?"

He was getting warm. Artie had always liked breaking codes. He preferred when the code wasn’t written across a face, but the pleasure of solving one couldn’t be beat, whatever its form. "But that can't be. James wouldn't let that happen, would he?" Agent Neilson's eyes darted guiltily through the room, as it dawned on him that he was a little more involved in H.G. Wells' personal problems than he had any desire to be. "You're struggling with your coven because of Myka, aren't you?" The Beelzebub coked his head to the side. Usually, he wasn't able to sense this on vampires, but now that Helena was lacking control over her emotions... "Is that fear I sense on you?"

Helena didn't answer, she just looked at him, her face set into the best mask she could manage.

"HG." This really wasn’t somehing he wanted to be talking about. "Did it really have to be a werewolf? I mean, James mentioned your tendency to be provocative towards your coven, but does it have to be this way? You're bringing the truce in danger, HG. And if that really is fear you're feeling - and I know a lot about fear - then you're apparently also putting yourself in danger. Shall I call James? When he asked me to hire you he told me that I should take good care of you, so plea-"

"He did?" Helena asked, sounding alarmed.

"Yes, yes." Artie was struggling more and more with the change of their conversation and the fact that even in her condition, Helena Wells was in control over their conversation. He was her boss, he was telling her what to do. He was leading this conversation, wasn't he?

`HG stared at him, her eyes widened. She blinked repeatedly, looking like she was pondering his words. "You're right, Artie." She finally said. "I should take the rest of the night off."

"You should?" Artie asked, tilting his head.

"Yes." Helena gave back, turning on her heels.

"HG!" Her boss yelled, rising from his chair. "I didn't give you leave to go. Where are you going?" 

Even as an impressively purposeful walk carried her out of his office, Helena quickly threw over her own shoulder, "I'll be working on the problem my coven has with Myka."  
_____________________________  
 _Humans._ Myka constantly asked herself if they suspected something about the hidden society that was part of their world. A lot of demons worked in human companies, in human society, to give themselves a comfortable standard of life.

The concept of peace with only one side knowing what exactly was happening was kept by a smaller group of powerful demons, _The Regents._ They made the decisions. They took care that no one became suspicious about what really was going on if - for example - suddenly humans went missing. The Regents were in charge of Artie's team, they constantly watched their work and judged it by their own point of view.

And so, Myka was not surprised to smell Walter Sykes at the crime scene she and Pete were visiting. Walter was a Grendel - an ugly demon when in demonic form - who worked in the forensic department of the town's police. Usually, Walter made sure to stay in his lab but when the Regents doubted the field work of Artie’s team, he was sent out into the field to monitor them.

And Grendels stank. It was a fact. And one didn't need the nose of a werewolf to smell him from across the room... or building.

Myka scrunched her nose , horrified, when they walked up the staircase of the apartment builing in which the crime scene was. She huffed in absolute disapproval. Pete looked at her, smiling sympathetically.

"I know." He mentioned, sounding like he was in pain. "I smell him, too."

The door of the apartment they were heading for was open and crime scene tape was glued across it. The Agents Bering and Lattimer flashed their badges at the police officer who observed the door. He sighed in reaction, nodded slowly and then yelled into the apartment over his shoulder.

"Harmon! You told me to tell you you if _the Agents_ arrive." 

"Yes?" A familiar, female voice asked.

"Well." The police officer rolled his eyes. "They're here!"

Myka rolled her eyes before exchanging a look with Pete. Harmon. Of course. Followed closely by Pete, the werewolf crouched under the tape to make her way into the apartment. She was greeted by Detective Harmon immediately, who marched with straightened shoulders towards them.

"Aha!" The detective sounded irritatingly pleased with herself. “Lattimer and Bering. As you can see, I do remember your name. After the two of you took down my medical examiner in her own morgue, I did a little research."

Myka sighed internally. _Of course._ Like the case wasn't already complicated enough. 

Pete smiled his most innocent smile at Detective Harmon. 

"Research? On us? I'm flattered you've put so much effort in finding information on me, Detective Harmon. But you could have just asked for my number." He stepped closer, entering the Detective's personal space. Who had her eyebrows now furrowed and blinked repeatedly. "Jane. Can I call you Jane? I would have been glad to tell you anything you wanted to know in company of candles, maybe dinner in a restaurant and two glasses of their best red wine."

Myka suppressed a giggle, looking down to the ground with her hands on her hips. Sometimes, she loved Pete. He was very good at talking to humans. Kind of...

While the Nephil kept the poor Detective occupied, his partner started surveying the room not only with her eyes but also her nose. Sykes‘ scent numbed her sense of smell, but she was still able to see analyse the room. There were fourteen people moving through the room - examining the body, looking for evidence, mapping the crime scene. The police were apparently taking this spree of killings seriously. There was no relative of the victim this time. At least Myka wasn't seeing anybody talking to a bundle of tears.

The prey's lifeless body - _The victim's lifeless body_ , Myka corrected herself - was sitting on the floor, her - _first female victim_ , the agent noted - back leaning against the couch's edge, limbs again opened wide, chest and stomach opened as well. Myka mentally noted down that this victim also had those typical bite marks. She was sure she would find an injection mark at the woman's neck, if she was allowed close.

The werewolf’s gaze wandered through the living room, spotting Walter at the window. He was just putting a piece of red and damped fabric into a bag. The Grendel turned around, noticing her. He narrowed his eyes and nodded into the direction of the door that Myka assumed to be the bedroom door.

She nodded in approval, indicating she would join him presently. Sykes went, crossing the room immediately to disappear through that door.

"You can stop with those silly attemps to flirt with me, Agent Lattimer. Your female colleague's attemps didn't work either." Pete wasn’t having much luck with Harmon. The Nephil looked surprised, but then smirked at Myka. His partner shook her head, mouthing 'Not me. Helena'.

"I _talked_ to the secret service and they have in fact no idea who you two are. Nor do Agent Wells and Jinks check out." Harmon's voice was triumphant.

"Well, Detective Harmon, we're taking the 'secret' in 'Secret Service' very seriously." Myka responded carefully. This wasn't the first human who thought they had figured everything out.

"But..." Harmon started, her eyes looking confused for a brief moment. Then she went back to her serious Detective look again. "You two have no birth dates. There is no information on where are you from or what your professional background is." She looked into the files she held in her hand, slowly beginning to turn the pages.

"Okay, maybe I can help you with that." Pete took another step closer to the confused Detective to look over her shoulder. "I hope you are aware of the fact that google is not an acceptable research source in this case, Detective Harmon. Look, here, my birth year is 75." Pete put his finger into the file and Myka smiled. Of course he didn't say which century.

Now that the werewolf was certain that her partner had the annoying detective under control, she slowly moved over to the bedroom door. And now that Sykes‘ dreadful smell as a little less intense, another scent reached the werwolf's nose which confused her a little but failed to grasp her whole attention. Distractedly, she sniffed at the sleeve of her own coat while she opened the bed room door and closed it carefully behind herself.

"Hello, Walter." Myka greeted Sykes monotonously. "Did we alarm the Regents so much that they sent you to check on us?" 

"As always, Agent Bering." Walter returned, arrogant as usual, "I'm only here to support your work on this case. I am not a spy. But I have to admit that Mrs. Frederic is a little concered that it's taking you so long. The fact that we had a third victim already displeased the Regents. Now, there is fourth victim with the same wounds on her chest. And three dead humans - yelling 'a demon killed me' - are still lying in the human's morgue. What is your team even doing, Agent Bering?"

Myka folded her arms in front of her chest, frowning at him. "We're trying our best-"

"I did my best to hide rather obvious information from the humans." Walter interrupted her. "For example the Arach venom that have been injected into the prey's neck and also the remains of disintegrated intestines in the ripped-open torso of the prey, but it's getting harder and harder." The Grendel went on, gesturing wildly with his hands.

The werewolf nodded. "Your effort in this case is appreciated, Walter."

"Yeah, it would be better if I didn’t need to put effort into something aside my work in my own lab, Agent Bering. I would prefer to not have to leave my lab at all." He growled. Myka noticed again how much he liked to hear himself talk. She had met him a few times. "But, to assure you, I'm going to tell the Regents that you're doing your job in the best possible way and that there isn't anything you could do more. Based on everything I've witnessed." Walter said generously.

"Thank you, Walter. That is also very much appreciated." Myka tried hard to not roll her eyes. Walter was arrogant and annoying, but they needed his support.

"Okay, Agent Bering, we shouldn't be alone in this room any longer, otherwise the humans will get more suspicious than they already are." Sykes nodded thoughtfully. "You have to pay attention to Detective Harmon, I think she is on a path she shouldn't be. But there is another circumstance that alarms me." Walter stepped closer causing Myka to press the edge of her hand against her nose, trying to look like she was rubbing her cheeks in attention while closing her nose with the lenght of her index finger.

"We're not alone." The grendel whispered enigmatically. "There is someone who doesn't belong to their team."

"What do you...?" Myka asked in confusion. But then she got reminded of the scent she had been smelling in the living room.

"He has been observing our work, looking at the victim and sticking his nose into the matters of the human police department. I think he's trying to get information of his own. I don't know what his intentions are." With those words, Sykes nodded for a last time at her and then he left the room.

Myka counted to ten and then followed him. She spotted Pete who was still talking to Harmon, the detective's face flushed with anger. Pretending she was looking for evidence, Myka analysed the room again, this time more thoroughly, paying special attention to the scents in the room. There was a werewolf amongst the forensic team, she was sure.

Myka froze in the middle of the living room, nearby the victim as she spotted a lean brunette man leaving the apartment rather quickly by dodging under the crime scene tape across the door. Instantly, the werewolf walked over to Pete, not drawing her eyes away from the door. Through her teeth, she huffed at her partner:

"Pete, go to the car and get my bag." 

The Nephil's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Your bag?" While asking, he sounded a little bit annoyed.

She nodded quickly, eyeing Detective Harmon next to him. "I have a thing to do." 

Without looking at him again, the werewolf left the crime scene. In the stairway, she turned her head: the police officer who had watched the apartment's door was gone now.  
Myka looked down the staircase, spotting the suspect running through the hall four stories lower, leaving the apartment building through the front door.

Again making sure nobody was looking her way, the agent lifted herself over the balustrade and dropped herself, landing neatly on the ground of the hallway. She quickly shook her head and then turned around and follow the other werewolf. He had turned right on the street, she could smell him.

While running through the night, Myka opened the buttons of her coat, pulled it off and dropped it on the street. Her eyes glowed green.  
_____________________________________

Pete hated it when Myka was doing _this._ When she hurriedly left the apartment, he looked after her, and then regarded that obnoxious Detective next to him with a bright, innocent and utterly forced out smile.

"Are you your partner's _servant,_ Agent Lattimer?" The detective purred with her right eyebrow raised and a slight smirk on her face.

"Well, you don't know what it is in this bag. And she's serving me a lot of donuts afterwards." Pete sighed internally but forced himself to stay calm and polite. "If you would excuse me, I have a bag to deliver." The Nephil backed slowly up to follow Myka through the stairway, of course she was already gone. 

He sighed when he found his partner's coat and her belt with her gun, her revolver, handcuffs, badge and wooden stake on the pavement in front of the apartment building.  
So he didn't just have to bring the werewolf her bag, he also was supposed to collect her clothes. _Brilliant._ This would mean a whole basket of donuts for him.

Quickly, he moved over to the car and opened the trunk. Pulling out the small bag, he turned his head around, searching for a trace of his partner. He sighed, Myka could be anywhere now. She had always made it hard for him to find her in these situations. He had to improvise as always. Then his view fell on a piece of fabric, lying at the entrance of an aisle between two higher buildings and he sighed. 

_Follow the trail of ripped clothes, Commander Pete._ He thought while approacing the aisle. _At its end there won't be a white rabbit, but a big brown werewolf, slobbering and shedding. I hope this encourages you._

Pulling strap of the bag over his shoulder, the Nephil crossed the street and bend down to Myka's jumper, but the fabric was ripped, so he decided he would leave it here. Destroyed clothes weren't worth collecting.

At the corner, a few feet away from the jumper, the Agent found a bra, also in tatters. Immediately, he put his hand over his eyes. "Goddammit, Mykes. I really don't need this right now. No. Let's put that differently, I don't need this at all. Ever. I'm not going to touch this."

Pete went on walking. Quickly, he lifted himself over a higher fence which squeaked under his body weight. On it, there was dangling a brown piece fur. Yes, he was definitely following the right track.

In the back yard the Nephil had entered, he found a ripped jeans and a piece of fabric he didn't want to identify. This was when he heard the first sound of a fight going on. The grunting, growling and barking of two fighting werewolves came from a smaller place next to the backyard and Pete stepped over the smaller fence to join them. 

Pete looked at the furry bundles of the two werewolves, swiping at eachother with their claws. Myka was currently lying on her back, covered by her black opponent, who tried to bite her throat. Pete sighed, dropping Myka's bag and coat to the ground.

"Do you have this under control, Mykes, or do you maybe need help?" He asked, looking at his fingernails.

His partner growled, pushing the black werewolf away with a sudden move of her hind legs. She howled briefly, jumping up to stand on two feet and then attacked her opponent again. The black werewolf tossed her into the next wall immediately. Dust and dirt was send flying across the place, causing Pete to roll his eyes. "Hey, you two. A little less obvious, please. There are humans living here."

Myka jumped up again, landing on her hind legs. She snarled at Pete before turning around to pull the other werewolf off his feet. Teeth were gritted, and Pete spotted the first drops of blood running through Myka's fur, so he decided to stop this right now. The agent pulled up his sleeves, walked over to the black wolf - who just had Myka pressed to the ground again - and hit him as hard as he could with his fist. 

Nephilim were known as the strongest demons, so it was no wonder that the black werewolf was simply trashed into the next wall, howling and whimpering like a puppy. The creature didn't move now, so Pete thought it was safe to walk over to Myka's bag. He took his time to open it, pulling out a big black sheet and throwing it at Myka before pulling the handcuffs and the revolver from his belt.

The other werewolf seemed to be waking up from his forced sleep again, so Pete quickly lifted with his revolver at the creature.

"Yo, Lassie, you better turn back before I decide to put one of this silver bullets in my gun between your eyes." The yellow eyes of the wolf focussed the object in his hands for a second. "I'm very serious." The nephil declared, shrugging.

With a huff, the wolf started turning back, his fur disappearing, losing more than the half of his body height and a big part of his muscle mass. Pete knew that Myka was doing the same behind him, while being wrapped in a sheet. She didn't like him to watch her transformation.

When the black werewolf had his human form again (slighty disappointing Pete, that guy was only a boy), the Nephil walked over to him. Carefully trying to not touch the naked man more than necessary, the agent turned him around so he was lying on his stomach. Pete forced the werewolf's hands on his back to start handcuffing him.

"Special steel." Pete explained while working. "To suppress your ability to turn, so don't even try."

When he was finished he turned around to Myka, who had wrapped the sheet he had given her around her chest. She was bend over the bag to pull out her changing clothes.

"You owe me a big box of donuts." Pete declared, eyeing the werewolf under his knees.

"Yeah, put that on the list." Myka replied, holding her jeans under the sheet to put it on. Quite awkwardly for the dangerous looking creature she just had been a few minutes ago, the werewolf wiggled her body into her trousers.

"Please tell me who this is." Her partner demanded now, kneeling harder into the man's shoulder because the black werwolf had made attempt to crawl away.

"I believe this is our first suspect." Myka mentioned without looking at them. She pulled a shirt over her head and got rid of the sheet afterwards. Carefully, she surveyed a bite mark on her arm. "I'm okay by the way and had everything under control, but thanks for your appreciated help."

"But he is no Arach." The Nephilim looked down at the suspect, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"Yes, Pete. I'm aware he is a wolf. But he was at the crime scene even though I'm pretty sure he doesn't belong to the forensic team. And he certainly observed the crime scene and much more worse: He observed us." Myka approached them, folding her sheet neatly. "So I think arresting him for a little questioning would be a good decision. Especially since he attacked me when he found me following him."

"So, then, Boomer." Carefully, Pete tapped his finger on the other man's shoulder. "Where are your clothes so we can take you with us without getting blind, hm?" 

The naked werewolf didn't reply.

"Okay, Mykes, he is not responsive, I think he is making use of his right to remain silent." The Nephil concluded, shrugging a bit helplessly.

"Then lead him to the car." His partner grinned.

"No way, Mykes. I'm not putting a naked man into my car. The seats were just cleaned." Pete looked at her with her eyes widened, shaking his head profusely.

Myka sighed. Then she threw her sheet at him. "Wrap him in this." 

"Can't you do it, please? I don't wanna see his...you know." The Nephil tried, holding up the sheet at her again.

"Pete, I know that you're eight years old but you're also working for our agency so, please, just do your job. I don't want to see his 'you know' either." Pete could see a grin on her face before she turned around. Sighing deeply, the Nephil stepped back towards their suspect.

While he was working, Myka slightly sniffled and looked around.

"What is it?" Pete asked while rolling the suspect over the ground to wrap him in the sheet. The black werewolf was completely limp in his arms. Apparently, he was trying to make it harder than necessary for the Nephil.

"It smells a lot like humans around here." His partner mentioned warily.

"As I said Myka, there are humans living here." Her friend replied, rolling his eyes hard. "If you'd help me getting the naked man to the car..."

And now, Myka and Pete were so occupied with teasing eachother about the naked man that neither of them recognised Detective Harmon sneaking through a dark aisle, in her hand her mobile phone.


End file.
